Systematic review and metaanalysis on nonclassic cardiovascular biomarkers after hypertensive pregnancy disorders.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate which nonclassic cardiovascular biomarkers are associated with persistent endothelial dysfunction after pregnancy in women with a history of hypertensive pregnancy disorders compared with women with uncomplicated pregnancies.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a systematic review and metaanalysis of observational studies. A search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Cinahl including articles from inception to Feb. 27, 2013. Included were cohort studies and case-control studies. Cases were women with a history of hypertension in pregnancy, control subjects were women with a history of uncomplicated pregnancies. Of the 3136 found, 21 studies on 16 nonclassic cardiovascular biomarkers are described in this review; 12 studies on 5 biomarkers were included in the metaanalysis.

RESULTS

Women with a history of hypertensive pregnancy disorders had a higher homocysteine level compared with women with a history of uncomplicated pregnancies (5 studies; pooled mean difference, 0.77 ng/mL; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-1.26; P < .01). For the other nonclassic cardiovascular biomarkers including markers in areas of inflammation, thrombosis, and angiogenesis, we found no significant differences.

CONCLUSION

This review and metaanalysis showed that women with a history of hypertensive pregnancy disorders have higher homocysteine levels compared with women with a history of uncomplicated pregnancies. These data suggest persistent endothelial alteration after pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders.