Left ventricular hypertrophy in Japanese pregnant women with chronic hypertension predicts blood pressure elevation during pregnancy

Aim: The influence of cardiovascular changes resulting from hypertension on the course of pregnancy is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of cardiovascular changes as detected by echocardiography on the course of pregnancy with chronic hypertension. Methods: This retrospective cohort study targeted women with a singleton pregnancy and chronic hypertension during the period between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018. We compared echocardiographic values between subjects with blood pressure (BP) elevation (BP elevation group) and normotensive subjects (control group) during pregnancy. Results: Twenty-nine hypertensive pregnant women were eligible for this study (14 subjects in the BP elevation group and 15 subjects in the control group). Left ventricular posterior wall thickness (PWT) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) tended to be greater in the BP elevation group compared to the control group, but the differences were not significant. In the sub-cohort of subjects aged ≥ 35 years, PWT and LVMI were significantly greater in the BP elevation group compared to the control group. Conclusions: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in pregnant women with chronic hypertension may be a predictor of BP elevation during pregnancy.