PP036. Cardiovascular disease risk factors among women with a history of placental abruption.

BACKGROUND

Several studies have shown that the risk of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased after maternal placental syndromes (MPS), including hypertensive disorders and placental abruption. Although a high prevalence of CVD risk factors has been observed for women with a history of preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension, it is unclear whether patients with previous placental abruption exhibit the same cardiovascular risk profile.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of placental abruption with the presence of modifiable CVD risk factors that may be of potential use for prevention programs.

METHODS

We performed a case-control study of 75 women with a history of placental abruption and a control group of 79 women with uneventful pregnancies. At 6-9months postpartum we measured the following CVD risk factors: blood pressure, body-mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and CRP. Baseline variables in the two groups with and without a previous abruption were expressed as means and standard deviations (SD). Where appropriate, means were adjusted for potential confounders using a generalized linear model. Data were further stratified for women with or without additional MPS-related complications, i.e. preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and intrauterine growth restriction.

RESULTS

Women who experienced placental abruption had a significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, BMI, fasting blood glucose levels, CRP, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and cholesterol/HDL ratio, as compared to controls. These associations remained significant in women with previous placental abruption without concomitant other MPS only for plasma lipid profile, BMI and fasting blood glucose levels, but not for diastolic and systolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

A history of placental abruption is independently associated with increased BMI, fasting blood glucose levels, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol postpartum. Early detection of CVD risk factors in women with previous placental abruption offers an attractive opportunity for primary and secondary prevention.