Maternal diseases and risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy across gestational age groups

Objectives: To estimate the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in nulliparous women with diabetes, chronic hypertension or obesity in three gestational age groups. Study design: Population-based observational cohort study of 382 618 nulliparous women (94 280 with known BMI) using Medical Birth Registry of Norway and Statistics Norway. Main exposure variables were diabetes, chronic hypertension, Body Mass Index (BMI). Multiple regression analysis was performed without (model 1) and with (model 2) BMI. Main outcome measures: Preeclampsia stratified by gestational age group at delivery: early (23(0)-33(6) weeks), intermediate (34(0)-36(6) weeks) and late (37(0)-43(6) weeks), and gestational hypertension. Results: In model 1, Type 1 diabetes was associated with early (aOR = 5.0, 95%CI 3.8, 6.7), intermediate (aOR = 10.2, 95%CI 8.5, 12.3) and late preeclampsia (aOR = 2.7, 95%CI 2.4, 3.2), compared to no diabetes. Compared to normotensive women, women with chronic hypertension had an increased risk of preeclampsia in all groups: early (aOR = 8.68, 95%CI 6.94, 10.85), intermediate (aOR = 5.59, 95%CI 4.46, 7.02), late (aOR = 3.45, 95%CI 3.00, 3.96). The same trends persisted after adjusting for BMI (model 2). Obesity remained an independent risk factor for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Conclusions: Maternal diabetes, chronic hypertension and obesity were associated with an increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy across all gestational age groups in nulliparous women. Adjusting for BMI did not further modify the risk in these women, although 75% of the women in the study lacked BMI data.

Automated summary

A population-based observational cohort study in Norway found that nulliparous women with diabetes, chronic hypertension, or obesity have an increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in all gestational age groups. The risk remained even after adjusting for Body Mass Index, indicating the independent association of these conditions with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.