Peripheral arterial pulse wave analysis in women with pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension

Objective To compare peripheral pulse pressure waveforms in normal pregnancy, gestational hypertension (GH) and pre-eclampsia (PE). Design Comparative study. Setting Tertiary referral teaching hospital. Sample Women with hypertensive disease in pregnancy and matched normal pregnant controls. Methods Women in the third trimester of pregnancy with newly developed PE (n= 27) or GH (n= 33) were studied by radial artery applanation tonometry. Values were compared with those for gestational age matched normal pregnant women (n= 39). Main outcome measures Augmentation Index. Results Hypertension was of equal severity in PE and GH. Central augmentation pressure and augmentation index, indicating vasoconstriction, were mildly elevated in GH, but markedly elevated in PE. Conclusion Non-invasive applanation tonometry discriminates among normal pregnancy, GH and PE, and may be useful to predict PE.