A recent history of preeclampsia is associated with elevated central pulse wave velocity and muscle sympathetic outflow

Abstract

We demonstrate that resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity is elevated in women with a recent history of preeclampsia relative to women who have recently had uncomplicated pregnancies and without a history of preeclampsia. Structural changes in the central arteries are associated with arterial stiffness following preeclampsia, independent of changes in the sympathetic nervous system. The structural changes are observed in these relatively young previously preeclamptic women, indicating elevated cardiovascular risk. Our data suggest that with aging (and the gradual loss of vascular protection for women, as established by others), this risk will become exaggerated compared with women who have had normal pregnancies.