Blood pressure control in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Abstract

Hypertension is a major cause of maternal morbidity and occurs as a complication in up to one in ten pregnancies. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy encompass gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, chronic hypertension, and chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia. However, the management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remains a matter of debate, particularly the blood pressure thresholds and targets for managing hypertension in pregnancy. Previously, there was no clear evidence of the effectiveness of aggressive blood pressure control in pregnancy due to the risk of fetal growth restriction. Recent clinical trials have shown that aggressive control of blood pressure in pregnant women is safe for both the mother and fetus. The purpose of this paper is to present a clinically oriented guide to the drugs of choice in patients with hypertension during pregnancy, present contrasts among different guidelines and recent clinical trials, and discuss the blood pressure thresholds and targets for hypertension during pregnancy based on recent studies.