Open AccessHypertensive Pregnancy Disorders: Current Concepts
Author(s) -
Wagner Steven J.,
Barac Snezana,
Garovic Vesna D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the journal of clinical hypertension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1751-7176
pISSN - 1524-6175
DOI - 10.1111/j.1524-6175.2007.06695.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , preeclampsia , gestational hypertension , proteinuria , gestation , eclampsia , disease , obstetrics , hypertension in pregnancy , hypertensive disease , intensive care medicine , pediatrics , blood pressure , kidney , genetics , biology
Hypertensive pregnancy disorders complicate 10% of all pregnancies and cover a spectrum of conditions, namely preeclampsia, eclampsia, and chronic and gestational hypertension. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy‐specific disorder clinically characterized by hypertension and proteinuria that occurs after 20 weeks of gestation. It remains a leading cause of both fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Traditionally, hypertensive pregnancy disorders were considered not to have any long‐term impact on mothers' cardiovascular health; however, recent studies consistently have supported the role of hypertension in pregnancy as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life. Therefore, improved screening, and preventive and treatment strategies may not only optimize management of hypertensive pregnancy disorders, but may have a long‐term impact on women's cardiovascular events and outcomes years after the affected pregnancies. This article will provide a brief review of hypertensive pregnancy disorders and important recent discoveries regarding their pathogeneses, while focusing on current diagnostic and treatment strategies.