An Overview of Hypertension in Pregnancy: Risk to the Mother and the Fetus

What is Hypertension? Hypertension as defined by World Health Organization is blood pressure (BP) equal to or greater than 140/90 mm Hg, whereas normal and optimal levels are 130/85 mm Hg and 120/80 mm Hg, respectively [1,2]. Recently, American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association have revised the criteria for diagnosis and management of BP. Normal BP is less than 120/80 mm Hg and is considered elevated when it rises above this value. Stage I hypertension is defined as systolic BP of 130-139 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP of 80-89 mm Hg, while stage II is when BP is equal or higher than 140/90 mm Hg [3]. Hypertension is one of the known major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.