Comparison of risk of hypertensive complications of pregnancy among women with versus without coarctation of the aorta

Abstract

Hypertension is a common consequence of coarctation of the aorta. The frequency of hypertensive complications of pregnancy in women with coarctation in the general population is undefined. In this study, we used the 1998 to 2007 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a nationally representative data set, to identify patients admitted to an acute care hospital for delivery. The frequency of hypertensive complications of pregnancy was compared between women with and without coarctation. Secondary outcomes, including length of stay, hospital charges, Caesarean delivery, and adverse maternal outcomes, were also assessed. There were an estimated 697 deliveries among women with coarctation, compared to 42,601,409 deliveries by women without coarctation. The frequency of hypertensive complications of pregnancy was 24.1 ± 3.3% for women with coarctation compared to 8.0 ± 0.1% for women without coarctation (multivariate odds ratio [OR] 3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5 to 5.2). Preexisting hypertension complicating pregnancy (10.2 ± 2.5% vs 1.0% ± 0.02%, multivariate OR 10.8, 95% CI 5.9 to 19.8) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (13.9 ± 3.0% vs 7.0% ± 0.1%, multivariate OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.3) were more common in women with coarctation. Women with coarctation were more likely to deliver by Caesarean section (41.6 ± 3.3% vs 26.4% ± 0.2%, multivariate OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4 to 2.8), have adverse cardiovascular outcomes (4.8 ± 2.2% vs 0.3 ± 0.01%, multivariate OR 16.7, 95% CI 6.7 to 41.5), have longer hospital stays, and incur higher hospital charges (both p values <0.0001) than women without coarctation. In conclusion, women with coarctation are more likely to have hypertensive complications of pregnancy, deliver by Caesarean section, have adverse cardiovascular outcomes, have longer hospitalizations, and incur higher hospital charges than women without coarctation.