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Uric Acid Determination in Gestational Hypertension: Is it as Effective a Delineator of Risk as Proteinuria in High-Risk Women?

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Abstract

We asked, is uric acid as effective as proteinuria at identifying perinatal risk in high-risk women with gestational hypertension? Uric acid was measured in samples obtained ≈4.6 weeks predelivery in 259 women with prior preeclampsia from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development network study of low-dose aspirin to prevent preeclampsia. Participants were grouped according to the presence/absence of gestational hypertension (H), proteinuria (P), and hyperuricemia (U). Adverse perinatal outcomes were not different between H or U and women with normal values (normal blood pressure, urinary protein, and uric acid [NNN]). Preterm birth was greater in hypertension and proteinuria (HP) and hypertension and hyperuricemia (HU) compared to NNN (relative risk [RR] = 2.4, P = .03 and 3.8, P < .01), respectively. In addition, in HU women, delivery was earlier (36.6 ± 3.4 vs 38.4 ± 2.3 weeks, P < .001) and small for gestational age infants <fifth centile more frequent (RR = 8.2, P = .01) compared to NNN women. This study sought to determine if uric acid is as effective as proteinuria at identifying perinatal risk in high-risk women with gestational hypertension. Our results suggest that hyperuricemia is at least as accurate as proteinuria at identifying perinatal risk in high-risk women with gestational hypertension.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Magee-Womens Research Institute, 204 Craft Avenue, Laboratory A340, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Mandy J. Schmella PhD, RN, Andrew D. Althouse MA, PhD & James M. Roberts MD

  2. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Mandy J. Schmella PhD, RN, Andrew D. Althouse MA, PhD & James M. Roberts MD

  3. The George Washington University Biostatistics Center, Washington DC, USA

    Rebecca G. Clifton PhD

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    James M. Roberts MD

  5. Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    James M. Roberts MD

Authors
  1. Mandy J. Schmella PhD, RN
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  2. Rebecca G. Clifton PhD
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  3. Andrew D. Althouse MA, PhD
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  4. James M. Roberts MD
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Correspondence to Mandy J. Schmella PhD, RN.

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Schmella, M.J., Clifton, R.G., Althouse, A.D. et al. Uric Acid Determination in Gestational Hypertension: Is it as Effective a Delineator of Risk as Proteinuria in High-Risk Women?. Reprod. Sci. 22, 1212–1219 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719115572477

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719115572477

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