Impact of obesity on the prognosis of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

The prevalence of pathologies due to placental dysfunction superimposed on pregnancy is constantly increasing. The prognosis of the cases complicated by gestational hypertension is usually good, significantly better compared with that of the cases associating preeclampsia. About half of the cases with gestational hypertension will progress to preeclampsia, the risk of decompensation being inversely proportional to the gestational age of the onset of gestational hypertension. The present study, analyzed the cases of pregnancy and postpartum complicated by pathologies related to placental dysfunction, during a period of 5 years. The risk factors analyzed were the presence of infections during pregnancy, diabetes, thrombophilia, pregnancy obtained by in vitro fertilization, abnormal adherence of the placenta, obesity, multiple pregnancy, the presence of an earlier hepatic, endocrine, renal, cardiac or autoimmune pathology, and the existence of an uterine malformation. Obesity appears with a significantly increased incidence in patients with gestational hypertension and middle preeclampsia. Intrauterine growth restriction appears with a significantly increased incidence in patients with mild preeclampsia. Complications such as prematurity, acute fetal distress and abruption of placentae had a significantly increased incidence in patients with severe preeclampsia. Thus, obese patients have a higher risk of moderate preeclampsia, following gestational hypertension and finally severe preeclampsia.