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Preeclampsia bodes ill for offspring, study says. By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- Preeclampsia, a dangerousspike in a woman's blood pressure during pregnancy, may predisposeoffspring to high blood pressure in childhood and young adulthood,a new study finds. From early in life, these children have distinct cardiovascularrisk factors that may put them at risk for health problems lateron, the British researchers said. "A pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia is an early warning signthat both the mother and offspring are going to be at greater riskof developing high blood pressure later in life," said leadresearcher Dr. Paul Leeson, from the department of cardiovascularmedicine at the University of Oxford in England. The findings suggest a need to monitor these children, the authorssaid. "There is likely to be value in considering a history ofpreeclampsia to understand better a person's risk of developinghigh blood pressure," Leeson said. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can lead to stroke,heart attack and kidney failure. Research into the biology underlying this association may also helpidentify new ways to prevent high blood pressure, Leeson added. The report, published May 21 online, appears in the June printissue of Pediatrics . For the study, Leeson's team reviewed 18 studies published between1948 and 2011 that dealt with cardiovascular risk factors ofchildren and young adults exposed to preeclampsia and those notexposed. This type of study, which involved more than 45,000 individuals, iscalled a meta-analysis and is designed to look for common patternsin unrelated studies. In their analysis, the researchers found that kids exposed topreeclampsia had higher blood pressure readings in childhood and asyoung adults, compared with those who were not exposed. Systolic blood pressure of those exposed to preeclampsia was 2.39mm Hg higher on average than that of those whose moms had healthypregnancies, and diastolic pressure was 1.35 mm Hg higher onaverage, the researchers noted. In a blood pressure reading of120/80, the first number -- 120 -- is the systolic pressure. Over time, this difference in systolic blood pressure wouldincrease a person's risk of death from heart disease by about 8percent and stroke by 12 percent, the authors said. Children and young adults exposed to preeclampsia also had a higherbody mass index (BMI) than children not exposed, the researcherssay. BMI, a calculation of body size based on height and weight, isanother risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The study does not prove that preeclampsia causes cardiovasculardisease, however. It merely shows an association between the two. Dr. Natalie Meirowitz, chief of maternal-fetal medicine in thedepartment of obstetrics and gynecology at Long Island JewishMedical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., said this study points to amajor public health issue. "This study really says the intrauterine environment affects achild's vascular function as an adult," Meirowitz said. "It may be obesity that is driving this," added Meirowitz. Morepregnant women are obese, which is a risk factor for preeclampsia. "We really need to consider cardiovascular disease that comes fromthe intrauterine environment and understand it better so we canprevent future cardiovascular disease," she said. Obesity in pregnancy is a modifiable risk factor, Meirowitz said."There isn't enough attention paid to it and the effect it can haveon children later in life," she said. More information For more information on preeclampsia, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine. SOURCES: Paul Leeson, M.B., Ph.D.,department of cardiovascularmedicine, University of Oxford, England; Natalie Meirowitz, M.D.,chief, maternal-fetal medicine, department of obstetrics andgynecology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y.;June 2012 Pediatrics Copyright © 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Outdoor UPS Manufacturer , Product Showcase, and more. For more , please visit Line Interactive UPS today!
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