The relation between sleep-disordered breathing and gestational hypertensive complications

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is associated with many hormonal and physiological changes which have an effect on both the respiratory and the cardiovascular system. Emerging evidence suggests that pregnancies complicated with gestational hypertensive disorders (GDH) have a higher rate of SDB and a maladapted cardiovascular system compared to normal pregnancies. The aims of the present study were to compare the cardiorespiratory sleep pattern and the cardiovascular profile in both normotensive pregnancies and pregnancies complicated with GHD, and to investigate all possible associations between sleep and cardiovascular parameters. MATERIALS & METHODS: Sleep parameters were recorded by use of the SomnoCheck Micro, consisting of a nasal cannula and a photoplethysmography sensor. Cardiovascular profiling was performed using combined ECG-Doppler ultrasonography and impedance cardiography. RESULTS: 18 patients with GHD and 58 normotensive pregnancies were included for analysis. Snoring was significantly more prevalent in patients with GHD (p=0,008). Snoring was significantly correlated with the systolic blood pressure and BMI. A significant negative correlation was present between snoring and both acceleration index (ACI) and velocity index (VI). CONCLUSION: Snoring was associated with dysfunctional cardiovascular parameters as well as with BMI. These results suggest that snoring pregnant women with a high BMI are at risk for the development of GHD.