Studies on Toxaemia of Pregnancy with Special Reference to Blood Pressure

II. Results after 6–11 Years' Follow-up

Abstract

One hundred and fifty women with a diagnosis of toxaemia of pregnancy treated in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Uppsala between 1964 and 1968 were investigated. One hundred women were still living in the area in 1975 and thus could be re-studied. The participation rate was 100% in this group. After this follow-up period of 6–11 years 17 women were hypertensives at the investigation and 12 were already on antihypertensive therapy. The incidence of hypertension was thus 29%. The toxaemic women who had developed hypertension showed a higher frequency of a family history of hypertension as well as of cardiovascular lesions than the toxaemic women with normal blood pressures at follow-up. At the time of the toxaemia the future hypertensive women (n = 29) had a higher blood pressure on admission, as well as a greater body weight, than the women who were normotensive at the follow-up investigation. Forty-six of the 100 re-studied women were taking contraceptive pills. Seven developed hypertension while ‘on the pill’. Four of these became normotensive after discontinuating the pill.