Denmark: Study on Preeclampsia and Coronary Atherosclerosis

Younger women with previous preeclampsia are at a slightly higher risk of coronary atherosclerosis compared with women in the general population, states a recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. After adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, preeclampsia remained an independent risk factor.

Previous studies have shown women with previous preeclampsia to be at increased risk of coronary artery disease later in life. Maria G. Hauge, Department of Obstetrics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to determine the prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis in younger women with previous preeclampsia in comparison with women from the general population.

For this purpose, the researchers matched women aged 40-55 years with previous preeclampsia in a 1:1 on age and parity with women from the general population. Participants completed a clinical examination, an extensive questionnaire, and a coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA). The prevalence of any coronary atherosclerosis on coronary CTA or a calcium score >0 in the case of a nondiagnostic coronary CTA was the main study outcome.

Findings of the Study

• A total of 1,417 women, with a mean age of 47 years, were included (708 women with previous preeclampsia and 709 control subjects from the general population).
• Women with previous preeclampsia were more likely to have hypertension (40.1% vs 22.8%), dyslipidemia (47.7% vs 41.7%), diabetes mellitus (3.4% vs 1.1%), and high body mass index (27.3 ± 5.7 kg/m² vs 25.0 ± 4.2 kg/m²).
• Cardiac computed tomography was performed in all women.
• The prevalence of any coronary atherosclerosis was higher in the preeclampsia group (27.4% vs 20.0%) with an OR: 1.41 after adjustment for age, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking, body mass index, menopause, and parity.

"Younger women with a history of preeclampsia are at a higher prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis compared with women from the general population," the researchers wrote. "Preeclampsia remained an independent risk factor after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors."

Reference

Hauge MG, Damm P, Kofoed KF, Ersbøll AS, Johansen M, Sigvardsen PE, Møller MB, Fuchs A, Kühl JT, Nordestgaard BG, Køber LV, Gustafsson F, Linde JJ. Early Coronary Atherosclerosis in Women With Previous Preeclampsia. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022 Jun 14;79(23):2310-2321. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2022.03.381. PMID: 35680182.