Creatinine level as a predictor of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy

This study aims to examine the association between creatinine level during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and the development of pre-eclampsia in the second half of the pregnancy. The study population included all registered births (n=9341) between 2001 and 2007 in a tertiary medical centre. Student's t-test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine any association. Significant association was documented between creatinine level in the first 20 weeks and the prevalence of hypertensive disorders. The mean plasma creatinine value in women with mild pre-eclampsia versus healthy women was 0.59 mg/dL +/- 0.14 versus 0.57 mg/dL +/- 0.15, respectively (P = 0.023). The mean plasma creatinine value in women with severe pre-eclampsia versus healthy women was 0.61 mg/dL +/- 0.17 versus 0.58 mg/dL +/- 0.15, respectively (P = 0.040). The mean plasma creatinine value in women with hypertensive disorders versus healthy women was 0.60 mg/dL +/- 0.15 versus 0.58 mg/dL +/- 0.15, respectively (P=0.003). The ROC curve demonstrated a significant association between creatinine level in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and the development of mild and severe pre-eclampsia in the second half of pregnancy (area under the curve: 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.57, P = 0.02, and 0.56, 95% CI: 0.50-0.62, P = 0.033, respectively). Higher creatinine levels during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of developing mild and severe pre-eclampsia.