Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HdoP) include gestational hypertension (GH), preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome (HELLP). These affect 5-10% of pregnancies and account for 16% of maternal deaths. Typically, they are grouped together when assessing risk factors since the etiology is thought to be the same. Appropriate preventative measures like aspirin 81mg daily should be taken in high-risk patients. This study explores the relationship between GH, preeclampsia, and HELLP with individual risk factors.
Methods: Participants were surveyed from the HELLP syndrome survivors and preeclampsia- survivors, experiences, and information Facebook pages. The survey relied on self-reported data. Inclusion criteria included females >18 years old who had developed a HdoP.
Results: 273 participants filled out the survey and T tests were used comparing each risk factor with or without each HdoP. Gestational diabetes, anxiety, history of (hx/) hypertension, hx/ autoimmune disease, family hx/ preeclampsia, personal history of HdoP, and first pregnancy had positive relationships with GH and preeclampsia and negative relationships with HELLP. Each of these risk factors had at least one HdoP which was found to be significant based on p value (p≤0.05). Hx/ diabetes, hx/ kidney disease, multiple gestation, and age >30 did not have significant relationships with any HdoP. Limitations include self-reported data and sample size.
Conclusions: This study shows GH and preeclampsia tend to have similar relationships with risk factors while HELLP tends to have the opposite relationship. HELLP needs to be further studied for potential unknown risk factors so clinicians can appropriately screen pregnant patients.
Methods: Participants were surveyed from the HELLP syndrome survivors and preeclampsia- survivors, experiences, and information Facebook pages. The survey relied on self-reported data. Inclusion criteria included females >18 years old who had developed a HdoP.
Results: 273 participants filled out the survey and T tests were used comparing each risk factor with or without each HdoP. Gestational diabetes, anxiety, history of (hx/) hypertension, hx/ autoimmune disease, family hx/ preeclampsia, personal history of HdoP, and first pregnancy had positive relationships with GH and preeclampsia and negative relationships with HELLP. Each of these risk factors had at least one HdoP which was found to be significant based on p value (p≤0.05). Hx/ diabetes, hx/ kidney disease, multiple gestation, and age >30 did not have significant relationships with any HdoP. Limitations include self-reported data and sample size.
Conclusions: This study shows GH and preeclampsia tend to have similar relationships with risk factors while HELLP tends to have the opposite relationship. HELLP needs to be further studied for potential unknown risk factors so clinicians can appropriately screen pregnant patients.