A longitudinal analysis of arterial stiffness and wave reflection in preeclampsia: Identification of changepoints

Preeclampsia (PrE) is a leading complication of pregnancy characterized by vascular dysfunction. Characterizing the longitudinal changes in vascular function prior to PrE onset is critical to the identification of optimal timepoints for vascular assessment and the development of effective early screening strategies.

In this prospective longitudinal study of women with singleton high-risk pregnancies, arterial stiffness and wave reflection parameters were assessed using applanation tonometry at 10-13 weeks' gestation and repeated every 4 weeks throughout pregnancy. Changepoints in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), carotid-radial PWV (crPWV), augmentation index (AIx), time to wave reflection (T_1R), pulse pressure amplification (PPA), and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) were compared between women who did and did not subsequently develop PrE.

A changepoint in cfPWV and crPWV was detected at 14-17 weeks' gestation. cfPWV then increased in women who went on to develop PrE but decreased in women who did not; a 1.2 m/s difference in cfPWV between the groups was observed at 22-25 weeks' gestation. Conversely, crPWV converged in the two groups from a baseline difference of 1.05 m/s (95% credible interval: 0.37, 1.72). Women who subsequently developed PrE demonstrated an increase in AIx at 18-21 weeks' gestation that was not seen in women who did not develop PrE until 30-33 weeks. No differences in T_1R, PPA, or SEVR were observed between the groups.

Altered vascular adaptations were detected using measures of arterial stiffness and wave reflection in the early second trimester of pregnant women who developed PrE compared to those who did not. These findings demonstrate the potential clinical utility of arterial stiffness and wave reflection parameters as an early screening tool for PrE, which can be used to inform clinical management of high-risk pregnancies.