Hypertension in pregnancy is associated with elevated C-reactive protein levels later in life

Abstract

Objectives We assessed if hypertension in pregnancy is associated with elevated CRP levels in later life, possibly reflecting an increased risk of CVD. Background Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels have been associated with hypertension in pregnancy and with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods We studied 2463 women from the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study. Subjects were categorized as nulliparous women (n=219), women with a history of normotensive pregnancies (n=1839), or women with a history of a hypertensive pregnancy (n=405). Using multiple linear regression models we compared mean CRP levels among the groups after adjusting for age, race, education, smoking, hypertension, personal history of CHD or stroke, diabetes, dyslipidemia, statins, hormone replacement therapy, and family history of CHD or stroke. As CRP levels may be influenced by body mass index (BMI), the model was fit both with and without adjusting for BMI. Results There was no significant difference in CRP levels between nulliparous women and those with a history of normotensive pregnancies, either with (p=0.82) or without (p=0.46) adjusting for BMI. In contrast, women with hypertensive pregnancies, compared to those with normotensive pregnancies, had higher CRP levels, both with (p=0.009) and without (p<0.001) adjusting for BMI. Conclusions A history of hypertension in pregnancy is associated with elevated CRP levels later in life, independent of traditional CVD risk factors and BMI. An elevated CRP may reflect an inflammatory state in women with a history of hypertensive pregnancy disorders who are at increased risk for CVD.

Assessment of the relationship between red blood cell distribution width and preganecy hypertension disease

“…Gestational hypertension disease (PHD) was a peculiar disease during pregnancy, according to the survey of 13 669 pregnant women in China, its incidence was 3.97 %, and caused serious harm to the health of pregnant women and fetus . There were many theories about the pathogenesis of PHD, a recent study showed that inflammation reaction system played an important role in the progress of PHD, such as studies showed that nonspecific inflammation medium allergic CRP had important role in PHD condition monitoring and prognosis assessment . RDW as a nonspecific inflammation medium had more studies, it has been proved to have important relevance in pathogenesisa and prognosis of a variety of disease.…”

“…5 There were many theories about the pathogenesis of PHD, a recent study showed that inflammation reaction system played an important role in the progress of PHD, such as studies showed that nonspecific inflammation medium allergic CRP had important role in PHD condition monitoring and prognosis assessment. 6,7 RDW as a nonspecific inflammation medium had more studies, it has been proved to have important relevance in pathogenesisa and prognosis of a variety of disease. RDW as a constituent part of common blood cell analysis, the price was quite cheap, detection method was easy, and the blood cell analysis must be regularly continuous detected during pregnancy, data was reliability and easy to collected.…”

Impaired Cognition and Brain Atrophy Decades After Hypertensive Pregnancy Disorders

“…2 Our subsequent studies, using either all FBPP cohorts as a whole or the component network cohorts individually, also showed that women with histories of a hypertensive pregnancy disorder were at greater risk for peripheral artery disease, 24 left ventricular hypertrophy, 25 and metabolic abnormalities that increase the risk of CVD, including elevated C-reactive protein 26 and homocysteine. 27 Taken together, these findings identify hypertensive pregnancy disorders as an additional sex-specific CVD risk factor.…”

A history of preeclampsia is associated with a risk for coronary artery calcification 3 decades later

“…7 Other non-traditional risk factors that are shared by preeclampsia and adverse CVD outcomes include increased levels of C-reactive protein and homocysteine. 8, 9 …”