Perinatal outcomes of pregestational hypertension according to blood pressure range at 11-14 week scan: Impact of the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact on perinatal outcomes related to placental insufficiency with the application of the new 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines to a group of chronic hypertensive pregnancies during their first-trimester assessment.
Study Design: This retrospective cohort study included pregnancies with preconceptional hypertension and known perinatal outcomes. In the first trimester, a combined screening for preterm preeclampsia (p-PE) was performed, including blood pressure (BP), mean uterine artery Doppler, and maternal characteristics. Patients were divided, according to the 2017 ACC/AHA consensus, into the following groups: elevated or less, Stage 1, and Stage 2. For adverse perinatal outcome assessment, univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed, considering the "elevated or less" group as a reference. Odds ratios (OR) were compared with linear trend analysis. The main outcomes measured were preterm PE and FGR < 3 ^rd percentile.
Results: Of the 130 included patients, 59 (45.4%) were classified as elevated or less, 47 (36.2%) as Stage 1, and 24 (18.4%) as Stage 2. p-PE showed a significant increase according to BP range [7% (OR = 1.0), 19.6% (OR = 3.2), and 21.7% (OR = 3.7)]; trend p = 0.02, for elevated or less, Stage 1, and Stage 2, respectively. There was a non-significant increased trend of FGR < 3 ^rd percentile according to the BP stage. The best multivariate predictive model for p-PE included a previous PE background (OR = 15) and mean arterial pressure in mmHg (OR = 1.1).
Conclusion: The use of the 2017 ACC/AHA consensus in pregnancies with chronic hypertension identifies an intermediate risk group for placental-mediated diseases.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2022 Sepúlveda-Martínez, Conrads, Guiñez, Guiñez, Llancaqueo and Parra-Cordero.)