Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2022.61.04.02

Cardiovascular Risk in Women with Preeclampsia

Jasna Čerkez Habek ; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Diseases, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia; Croatian Catholic University, Zagreb, Croatia
Mirna Vuković Bobić ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaiser Franz Joseph University Hospital, Vienna, Austria
Dubravko Habek ; Croatian Catholic University, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Sandra Jerković Gulin ; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Dario Gulin orcid.org/0000-0001-8502-7816 ; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Diseases, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

In this study, possible biochemical and functional cardiovascular markers were
assessed in women with preeclampsia. Fifty-five pregnant women with manifest moderate (mild)
preeclampsia (PE) and fifty healthy women as a control group were included in this prospective study.
Laboratory tests including lipid panel, C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine levels as biohumoral
markers of atherogenesis, as well as ergometry and the main cardiovascular risk factor markers
were performed in all women during pregnancy and six months after delivery. In our study, cholesterol
and LDL levels in the PE group did not differ from those in the control group. Triglyceride levels in
the PE group were higher than the corresponding values found in normal pregnancies, while HDL
levels were significantly lower in the PE group than in the normal pregnancy group (p<0.001). The
values of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides in the PE group were higher compared to
those in the same group six months after delivery (p<0.001). The effect of PE as an inflammatory
disease could be confirmed to a certain extent by elevated CRP levels (p<0.001). A very high percentage
of negative exercise stress tests indicated a good cardiovascular response to the current PE in
the otherwise healthy pregestational women. It could be concluded that the development of possible
cardiovascular comorbidities in preeclamptic pregnant women is a long process, but also due to etiologic
factors of coexistent metabolic disorders such as dyslipidemia, as well as elevated inflammatory
markers and homocysteine, PE can be considered even an early predictor of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords

Preeclampsia; Cardiovascular risk; Atherogenesis

Hrčak ID:

301345

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/301345

Publication date:

1.12.2022.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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