Hypertension Canada's 2018 Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension in Pregnancy

We present Hypertension Canada's inaugural evidence-based Canadian recommendations for the management of hypertension in pregnancy. Hypertension in pregnancy is common, affecting approximately 7% of pregnancies in Canada, and requires effective management to reduce maternal, fetal, and newborn complications. Because of this importance, these guidelines were developed in partnership with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada with the main common objective of improving the management of women with hypertension in pregnancy. Guidelines for the diagnosis, assessment, prevention, and treatment of hypertension in adults and children are published separately. In this first Hypertension Canada guidelines for hypertension in pregnancy, 7 recommendations for the management of nonsevere and severe hypertension in pregnancy are presented. For nonsevere hypertension in pregnancy (systolic blood pressure 140-159 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure 80-109 mm Hg), we provide guidance for the threshold for initiation of antihypertensive therapy, blood pressure targets, as well as first-and second-line antihypertensive medications. Severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure >= 160 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure >= 110 mm Hg) requires urgent antihypertensive therapy to reduce maternal, fetal, and newborn adverse outcomes. The specific evidence and rationale underlying each of these guidelines are discussed.