Significance of angiotensin sensitivity test for prediction of pregnancy-induced hypertension.

In 48 normotensive women with epidemiologic high-risk factors for pregnancy-induced hypertension, the angiotensin sensitivity test was performed serially between 26 and 32 weeks of gestation. If an effective pressor dose of less than 12 ng/kg per minute was considered to be a positive test result, 20 subjects were positive at 30 weeks of gestation and destined to develop pregnancy-induced hypertension. Of ten subjects with a false-positive test result, seven patients developed proteinuria and/or clinically significant edema without apparent hypertension, and only three subjects remained normal throughout their pregnancy. Twenty-eight subjects with negative test results had uneventful pregnancies. Before 30 weeks' gestation, it was difficult to identify all patients destined for pregnancy-induced hypertension. Although high false-positive test results were detected, these results suggest that an angiotensin sensitivity test at 30 weeks' gestation represents an appropriate means of identifying women who remain normal throughout pregnancy. Careful follow-up should be undertaken in all patients with positive test results.