Blood pressure responses to handgrip exercise but not apnea or mental stress are enhanced in women with a recent history of preeclampsia

Abstract

Women with recent histories of preeclampsia demonstrated higher systolic blood pressures across sympathoexcitatory stressors relative to controls. Peak systolic blood pressure reactivity was exacerbated in previously preeclamptic women during small muscle-mass exercises, although not during apneic or mental stress stimuli. These findings underscore the importance of assessing blood pressure control during a variety of experimental conditions in previously preeclamptic women to elucidate mechanisms that may contribute to their elevated cardiovascular disease risk.