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Pregnant women

Optimal Blood Pressure Monitoring for Preeclampsia Identification

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A new study has shed light on the optimal ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) cut-off points for assessing the risk of preeclampsia in high-risk pregnant women. The research, published in Hypertension Research, analyzed data from 1,374 high-risk pregnant women and found that current hypertension thresholds may be too high for identifying preeclampsia risk in the second half of gestation. The study suggests that adjusting the ABPM cut-off points could improve the accuracy of preeclampsia risk assessment in clinical practice.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed data from 1,374 high-risk pregnant women and identified optimal ABPM cut-off points for assessing preeclampsia risk.
  • Current hypertension thresholds may be too high for identifying preeclampsia risk in the second half of gestation.
  • Lower ABPM cut-off points (around 115/65 mmHg) may be more appropriate for identifying risk between 20 and 27 weeks.
  • Daytime ABPM thresholds should be reconsidered, with more suitable values likely around 125-130/80 mmHg at 28-36 weeks and 120-125/75 mmHg at 20-27 weeks.
  • Adjusting these thresholds could improve the accuracy of preeclampsia risk assessment in clinical practice.

Statistics:

  • 1,374 high-risk pregnant women were analyzed in the study.
  • 588 and 854 ABPM recordings were evaluated at 20-27 and 28-36 weeks of gestation, respectively.
  • The estimated cut-off points for nocturnal measurements were around 30 mmHg.
  • The estimated cut-off points for daytime measurements were consistently lower than the current threshold of 135/85 mmHg.

Sources:

  • A cohort study evaluating preeclampsia risk-based cut-offs for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in high-risk pregnant women. Time for a change? Hypertension Research, 2025.
  • Walter Espeche, Cardiometabolic Diseases Unit, San Martin Hospital of La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Additional authors: Julian Minetto, Gustavo Cerri, Lautaro Reitovich, Carlos E. Leiva Sisnieguez, Juan Todoroff, Ezequiel Giordani, Sofia Pacho Calvo, Jessica Barochiner and Martin Salazar.
  • Publisher: Springer Nature, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London, N1 9XW, England.

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