Arterial resistance in late first trimester as a predictor of subsequent pregnancy-related hypertension

Abstract EN

Objectives : This study aimed to examine the association between indicators of arterial resistance occurring late in the first trimester and the subsequent development of pregnancy-related hypertension.

Methods : This study took place between May 2014 and August 2015 and included 329 consecutive women with singleton pregnancies attending the antenatal clinics of a medical college in Karnataka, India, during this period.

Pulse pressure (PP) and uterine artery Doppler parameters were recorded between 11–14 gestational weeks.

Consequently, women were followed-up until after delivery for subsequent hypertension.

Results: Hypertension occurred more frequently if PP was high (17.6 % versus 14.4% of pregnancies without high PP; P = 0.713), if a diastolic notch (DN) was present (15.1 % versus 12.8% of pregnancies with an absent DN; P = 0.612) and if the resistive index (RI) was raised (22.2 % versus 14.3% of pregnancies without raised RI; P = 0.366).

A raised pulsatility index (PI) was significantly associated with hypertension (P = 0.013).

The risk of hypertension was approximately seven-fold higher if two or more arterial resistance indicators were used, except with a present DN plus a raised RI or a present DN plus high PP.

All arterial resistance indicators showed negative predictability (>85.6 %) and good specificity (≥95.0 %), except for the presence of a DN.

A population-specific cut-off PI value of 1.72 had high negative predictability (92.8%) and good sensitivity (70.8 %) and specificity (65.1%).

Conclusion : nancy.

A combination of arterial resistance indicators may enhance prediction of subsequent hypertension.