[Hypertension and its treatment in pregnancy].

Hypertensive disorders complicate approximately 10% of all pregnancies, about half due to transient and essential hypertension and the rest due to preeclampsia that continues to be a major contributor to maternal and perinatal mortality. However, when hypertensive pregnancies are carefully monitored, the neonatal mortality is low. Therefore, identification of women destined to have preeclampsia is essential, and it is the major purpose of the new classification proposed by M. A. Brown and M. L. Buddle to better stratify those hypertensive pregnant women who are at high risk and need intensive inpatient management. Prophylactic low-dose aspirin appeared to prevent preeclampsia in some studies and to be reasonably safe; however, the effectiveness in reducing the incidence of severe preeclampsia and improving pregnancy outcome remains uncertain. The basic therapy for hypertension during pregnancy is now hydralazine, labetalol and methyldopa; for preeclampsia the cornerstone for treatment is magnesium sulphate and hydralazine intravenously, and small doses of diazoxide, if necessary. Diuretics have a dubious place in treatment of hypertension during pregnancy, and ACE-inhibitors are contraindicated. In severe preeclampsia and eclampsia, the only solution is delivery; better knowledge of etiology and pathogenetics is needed for effective and safe treatment of gestational hypertension, as well as careful blood pressure monitoring and adequate laboratory control.