Remote prognosis of preeclampsia in women 25 years old and younger

Abstract

Twenty-six primiparous women ≤25 years old who delivered between 1963 and 1978 and met the following criteria were studied: (1) The first obstetric visit was at ≤30 weeks' gestation with diastolic blood pressure ≤85 mm Hg; (2) diastolic blood pressure before delivery was ≥95 mm Hg, rising at least 15 mm Hg; (3) 24-hour urine protein measured at least 1.0 gm; and (4) patients were enrolled in the Kaiser Health Plan in 1982. Each of the 26 patients was paired with a primiparous woman by year delivered, age, race (black versus nonblack), and weight $\text{± 1}\text{3}$. In 23 pairs blood pressure follow-up was available in 1980 or thereafter, which was at least $\text{3}\text{1}\text{2}\text{years}$ after delivery (average interval between delivery and follow-up = 10 years). Three in the preeclampsia group and two in the matched control group had hypertension, with diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg. Mean systolic blood pressure (123.7 mm Hg) was 9.3 mm Hg higher in the preeclampsia group than in the matched controls (114.4 mm Hg), with a standard error of 4.15 mm Hg (p = 0.04). Mean diastolic blood pressure (77.0 mm Hg) was 2.9 mm Hg higher in the preeclampsia group than in the controls (74.1 mm Hg), with a standard error of 3.0 mm Hg (p = 0.345). We conclude that no significant difference in frequency of hypertension or diastolic blood pressure and a small but significant difference in systolic blood pressure is shown in follow-up between patients with preeclampsia and matched controls.