Preeclampsia and the cardiovascular system: An update

Preeclampsia, an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide, is defined as the new onset of hypertension in pregnancy after 20 weeks ’ gestation with associated proteinuria, maternal organ dysfunction or fetal growth restriction [1–3]. The incidence of preeclampsia is estimated to be between 3 and 10% of all pregnancies. While maternal death due to preeclampsia is less common in developed countries, maternal morbidity is high and is a major contributor to intensive care unit admissions—especially given that preeclampsia is more common with advanced maternal age, obesity and other medical co-morbidities.

Source: Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine - May 14, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Helen Perry, Asma Khalil, Basky Thilaganathan Source Type: research