Somatic health of women with a history of preeclampsia who delivered female infants

Introduction. Pregnancy and labor complicated by adverse conditions pose a threat not only to offspring but also to maternal health in later life. Preeclampsia (PE) has a long-term impact on maternal health, increasing the risk of subsequent somatic diseases. However, the number of studies investigating PE effects on maternal long-term somatic health are limited that determines the relevance of the present study.

Aim: to assess the somatic health of women with/without PE during pregnancy and labor who delivered female infants.

Materials and Methods. A retrospective case–control study was performed. A total of 1,302 medical records of women who delivered female infants in 2006–2007 were analyzed. The study sample included 198 patients meeting the inclusion criteria: spontaneous singleton gestation, term delivery of a live female infant in 2006–2007, and a medical record indicating either the presence or absence of PE. Based on obstetric history, the subjects were allocated to two groups: main group (n = 94), which included women diagnosed with PE during pregnancy and/or labor, and control group (n = 104), composed of women with uncomplicated pregnancies and labors. Archival obstetric records were analyzed, and somatic health was assessed based on medical documentation provided by the patients, including anthropometric measurements.

Results. The assessment of somatic health and anthropometric parameters revealed statistically significant differences between the study groups. Women with PE history showed a significantly higher prevalence of сardiovascular diseases, overweight, and obesity as well as lower parity compared with women whose pregnancies proceeded physiologically (p < 0.001). The probability of having hypertension was 3.297 times higher in PE group, with statistically significant difference (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.801–6.037; р < 0,001). No significant differences in the phenotypes of hypertension were identified. Notably, women with PE history were characterized by a significantly higher mean age of labor (p = 0.028), incidence of malignant neoplasms (p = 0.023) and a more frequently burdened family history of hypertension (p = 0.002). In addition, inter-group differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Conclusion. Pregnancy complicated by PE increases the risk of subsequent cardiovascular diseases in general and hypertension in particular, overweight, and obesity in this group of patients. The data highlight the necessity for preconception prevention of hypertensive disorders, careful assessment of PE risk factors including family history and a personalized approach to the management of this patient cohort. These results underscore the importance of developing further strategies for PE prevention and early diagnosis, as well as implementing multidisciplinary long-term follow-up of women with PE history.

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