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(Hypertension. 2007;49:813.)
© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Articles

High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy and Coronary Calcification

Siamak Sabour; Arie Franx; Annemarieke Rutten; Diederick E. Grobbee; Mathias Prokop; Marie-Louise Bartelink; Yvonne T. van der Schouw; Michiel L. Bots

From the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care (S.S., D.E.G., M.-L.B., Y.T.v.d.S., M.L.B.) and Radiology Department (A.R., M.P.), University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (S.S.), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (A.F.), St Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Correspondence to Michiel L. Bots, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Huispost: Str 6.131, PO Box: 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands. E-mail m.l.bots{at}umcutrecht.nl

A considerable proportion of pregnant women develop high blood pressure in pregnancy. Although it is assumed that this condition subsides after pregnancy, many of these women develop the metabolic syndrome later in life and are at increased risk to develop coronary heart disease. Atherosclerosis development is considered in between risk factors and occurrence of vascular symptoms. We set out to cross-sectionally study the relation of high blood pressure during pregnancy with risk of coronary calcification. The study population was composed 491 healthy postmenopausal women selected from a population-based cohort study. Information on high blood pressure during pregnancy was obtained using a questionnaire. Between 2004 and 2005, the women underwent a multidetector computed tomography (Philips Mx 8000 IDT 16) to assess coronary calcium. The Agatston score, volume, and mass measurements were used to quantify coronary calcium. A total of 30.7% of the women reported to have had high blood pressure in pregnancy. Body mass index (odds ratio [OR]: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.09) and diastolic blood pressure (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.05) were significantly related to a history of high blood pressure in pregnancy. Age was significantly related to increased coronary calcification. Women with a history of high blood pressure during pregnancy had a 57% increased risk of having coronary calcification compared with those women without this condition (OR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.37). After adjusting for age, the relation did not change (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.07 to 2.53). We concluded that high blood pressure during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of coronary calcification later in life.

Key Words: multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) • cardiovascular diseases (CVD) • coronary calcification • atherosclerosis • blood pressure

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