Hypertensive complications of pregnancy: A clinical overview

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are a worldwide health problem for women and their infants complicating up to 10% of pregnancies and associated with increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. In Europe, 2.3-3% of pregnancies are complicated by preeclampsia. Gestational diabetes, obesity, no previous or multiple births, maternal age less than 20 or greater than 35years old and thrombophilia can be some of the possible factors related to increased risk for hypertension in pregnancy. Complications of hypertension during pregnancy affect both mothers and their infants. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring helps to distinguish true hypertension from the white coat as pregnant women with office abnormal values may have normal out of office blood pressure. Imbalance between proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors in placenta may lead to endothelial dysfunction, vasoconstriction, activation of the coagulation system, and hemolysis. Carotid intima-media thickness, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, and arterial wall tension were found to be significantly increased in women with preeclampsia compared to normotensive pregnant women. Uterine artery Doppler and serum biomarkers can be used to evaluate the probability of hypertension and complications during pregnancy, but further research in the field is needed. Lately, micro ribonucleic acids have also been the focus of research as potential biomarkers.