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Preeclampsia and the Future Risk of Hypertension: The Pregnant Evidence

  • Pathogenesis of Hypertension (R Agarwal, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Cardiovascular death rates continue to rise for women under age 55, underlying the importance of focusing on female-specific conditions that may increase cardiovascular risk, including pregnancy-related disorders. Hypertension complicates about 5–10 % of pregnancies. Preeclampsia, a pregnancy-specific condition, is characterized by hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation and remains one of the major causes of maternal deaths in the United States. In addition, preeclampsia may have an impact on women’s health beyond their pregnancies, and has been associated with increased risks for future hypertension and cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease and stroke. In this review, we discuss the evidence supporting the association between preeclampsia and future hypertension; possible mechanisms that underlie this association; current approach to women with a history of preeclampsia; and future research that is needed in this field in order to deliver optimal and timely medical care to the affected women.

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Acknowledgments

The project described was supported by Award Number K08 HD051714 (V.D. Garovic) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development and by Award Number P-50 AG44170 (V.D. Garovic) from the National Institute on Aging. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development or the National Institutes of Health. The writing of the manuscript and the decision to submit it for publication were solely the authors’ responsibilities.

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Garovic, V.D., August, P. Preeclampsia and the Future Risk of Hypertension: The Pregnant Evidence. Curr Hypertens Rep 15, 114–121 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-013-0329-4

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