Preeclampsia and Long-term Risk of Maternal Retinal Disorders

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and long-term maternal cardiovascular risk: Bridging epidemiological knowledge into personalized postpartum care and follow-up

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is globally the leading cause of death and disability. Sex-specific causes of female CVD are under-investigated. Pregnancy remains an underinvestigated sex-specific stress test for future CVD and a hitherto missed opportunity to initiate prevention of CVD at a young age. Population-based studies show a strong association between female CVD and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. This association is also present after other pregnancy complications that are associated with placental dysfunction, including fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery and gestational diabetes mellitus. Few women are, however, offered systematic cardio-preventive follow-up after such pregnancy complications. These women typically seek help from the health system at first clinical symptom of CVD, which may be decades later. By this time, morbidity is established and years of preventive opportunities have been missed out. Early identification of modifiable risk factors starting postpartum followed by systematic preventive measures could improve maternal cardiovascular health trajectories, promoting healthier societies. In this non-systematic review we briefly summarize the epidemiological associations and pathophysiological hypotheses for the associations. We summarize current clinical follow-up strategies, including some proposed by international and national guidelines as well as user support groups. We address modifiable factors that may be underexploited in the postpartum period, including breastfeeding and blood pressure management. We suggest a way forward and discuss the remaining knowledge gaps and barriers for securing the best evidence-based follow-up, relative to available resources after a hypertensive pregnancy complication in order to prevent or delay onset of premature CVD.

The features of serous retinal detachment in preeclampsia viewed on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the characteristics of serous retinal detachment on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in preeclampsia.

METHODS

In this retrospective case-series study, clinical characteristics of retinal damage were evaluated using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging.

RESULTS

Thirty affected eyes from 16 pregnant women with preeclampsia were included. The features of serous retinal detachment, observed using SD-OCT, consisted of lesions located in the macular or peripapillary region; the presence of intraretinal or subretinal fluid (intraretinal fluid, IRF; subretinal fluid, SRF); ellipsoid zone integrity (normal/abnormal); intraretinal hyper-reflective dots; and Elschnig spots (retinal pigment epithelium lesions). Of the 30 affected eyes, 25 (83.33%) had lesions located in the macular region, 19 (63.33%) outside the macula (in the peripapillary region), and 14 (46.67%) in both. SD-OCT showed IRF in 2 eyes (6.67%), SRF in 30 eyes (100.00%), and both in 2 eyes (6.67%). The ellipsoid zone was disrupted in 20 eyes (66.67%), intraretinal hyper-reflective dots were observed in 4 eyes (13.33%), and Elschnig spots were observed in 20 eyes (66.67%).

CONCLUSION

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography is a non-invasive, reliable imaging tool for the assessment of retinal pathologies in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia and the Retina

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review summarizes key findings relating to the association between preeclampsia and retinal disorders.

RECENT FINDINGS

Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal morbidity. Pregnant women with preeclampsia frequently describe having visual disturbances. Retinal changes can be identified on fundoscopy in most patients with preeclampsia. While retinal pathology secondary to preeclampsia usually resolves postpartum, there is growing evidence that women with preeclampsia have a higher long-term risk of developing retinal disorders after pregnancy. Pregnant women often experience visual changes. While these symptoms may be benign, careful attention should be paid to exclude retinal disorders secondary to preeclampsia. Pregnant women complaining of new-onset or worsening blurry vision, scotomata, diplopia, or photopsia require rapid and thorough evaluation to rule out hypertensive disorders. Management of preeclampsia, including administration of magnesium sulfate and delivery of the fetus, can reverse retinal pathologies in most cases.

Advances in preeclampsia testing

Preeclampsia is a multisystem hypertensive disorder and one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The clinical hallmarks such as hypertension and proteinuria, and additional laboratory tests currently available including liver enzyme testing, are neither specific nor sufficiently sensitive. Therefore, biomarkers for timely and accurate identification of patients at risk of developing preeclampsia are extremely valuable to improve patient outcomes and safety. In this chapter, we will first discuss the clinical characteristics of preeclampsia and current evidence of the role of angiogenic factors, such as placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble FMS like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Second, we will review the clinical practice guidelines for preeclampsia diagnostic criteria and their recommendations on laboratory testing. Third, we will review the currently available PlGF and sFlt-1 assays in terms of their methodologies, analytical performance, and clinical diagnostic values. Finally, we will discuss the future research needs from both an analytical and clinical perspective.

Pregnancy, delivery and neonatal outcomes among women with diabetic retinopathy

OBJECTIVES

Diabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes. Despite that, there are few studies in the literature to address pregnancy, delivery, or neonatal outcomes among women with diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study using the Health Care Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database over 11 years from 2004 to 2014. A delivery cohort was created using ICD-9 codes. ICD-9 code 250 or 249 was used to extract the cases of maternal diabetic retinopathy. A multivariant logistic regression model was used to adjust for statistically significant variables (p-value ≤ .05).

RESULTS

There were a total of 9,096,788 deliveries during the study period. Of those, 86 615 pregnant women were found to have Diabetes Mellites (DM). Diabetic retinopathy was present in 1233 of the patients with DM. Diabetic retinopathy increased the likelihood of developing pregnancy-induced HTN (p < .0001), Preeclampsia (p < .0001), and Preeclampsia and eclampsia superimposed on preexisting HTN (p < .0001). In addition, in women with DM, the presence of diabetic retinopathy increased the risk of Preterm delivery (p = .002), cesarean section (p < .0001), requiring transfusion (p < .0001), and undergoing hysterectomy (p = .001), and were less likely to have a spontaneous vaginal delivery (p < .0001). However, the presence of diabetic retinopathy in women with DM did not increase the risk of the fetus being small at delivery, having intrauterine fetal demise, or congenital anomalies.

CONCLUSION

Women with diabetic retinopathy should be counseled about their increased risk of pregnancy-induced HTN, preeclampsia, premature delivery, cesarean section, transfusion, and hysterectomy.

Preeclampsia and eclampsia: the conceptual evolution of a syndrome

Preeclampsia, one of the most enigmatic complications of pregnancy, is considered a pregnancy-specific disorder caused by the placenta and cured only by delivery. This article traces the condition from its origins-once thought to be a disease of the central nervous system, recognized by the occurrence of seizures (ie, eclampsia)-to the present time when preeclampsia is conceptualized primarily as a vascular disorder. We review the epidemiologic data that led to the recommendation to use diastolic hypertension and proteinuria as diagnostic criteria, as their combined presence was associated with an increased risk of fetal death and the birth of small-for-gestational-age neonates. However, preeclampsia is a multisystemic disorder with protean manifestations, and the condition can be present even in the absence of hypertension and proteinuria. Toxins gaining access to the maternal circulation have been proposed to mediate the clinical manifestations-hence, the term "toxemia of pregnancy," which was used for several decades. The search for putative toxins has challenged investigators for more than a century, and a growing body of evidence suggests that products of an ischemic or a stressed placenta are responsible for the vascular changes that characterize this syndrome. The discovery that the placenta can produce antiangiogenic factors, which regulate endothelial cell function and induce intravascular inflammation, has been a major step forward in the understanding of preeclampsia. We view the release of antiangiogenic factors by the placenta as an adaptive response to improve uterine perfusion by modulating endothelial function and maternal cardiovascular performance. However, this homeostatic response can become maladaptive and lead to damage of target organs during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Early-onset preeclampsia has many features in common with atherosclerosis, whereas late-onset preeclampsia seems to result from a mismatch of fetal demands and maternal supply, that is, a metabolic crisis. Preeclampsia, as it is understood today, is essentially vascular dysfunction unmasked or caused by pregnancy. A subset of patients diagnosed with preeclampsia are at greater risk of the subsequent development of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, vascular dementia, and end-stage renal disease. However, these adverse events may be the result of a preexisting vascular pathologic process; it is not known if the occurrence of preeclampsia increases the baseline risk. Therefore, the understanding, prediction, prevention, and treatment of preeclampsia are healthcare priorities.

Serous Retinal Detachment in Pre-eclampsia: Case Report and Literature Review

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is an obstetric disease with a multifactorial cause that affects ∼ 5% of pregnant women. Vision can be affected with varying severity, and retinal detachment is a very rare complication. It tends to be bilateral, diagnosed postpartum, and more prevalent in women who are primiparous and/or undergo caesarean delivery. The condition typically resolves completely and rarely causes total visual loss in the affected women. Fluorescence angiographic findings support the hypothesis that retinal detachment in PE is secondary to choroidal ischemia from intense arteriolar vasospasm. The present article is related to a case of a 37-year-old pregnant woman who had PE associated with a progressive blurred vision, diagnosed by ophthalmology as serous macular detachment of the retina.

ADIPS 2020 guideline for pre-existing diabetes and pregnancy

This is the full version of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) 2020 guideline for pre-existing diabetes and pregnancy. The guideline encompasses the management of women with pre-existing type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes in relation to pregnancy, including preconception, antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care. The management of women with monogenic diabetes or cystic fibrosis-related diabetes in relation to pregnancy is also discussed.

The relationship between circadian blood pressure variability and maternal/perinatal outcomes in women with preeclampsia with severe features

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether circadian blood pressure (BP) variation of women with preeclampsia (PE) with severe features was associated with adverse maternal/perinatal outcomes.

METHODS

173 women with PE with severe features were recruitedand categorized into three groups: dipper, non-dipper and reverse dipper type BP group.. Maternal and perinatal outcomes were compared among groups.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in gestational ages, premature delivery, retinopathy, HELLP syndrome, mean birth weight, rate of low birth weight infants and fetal growth restriction.

CONCLUSION

Aberrant circadian pattern of BP in women with PE with severe features was associated with several adverse maternal/perinatal outcomes.

Risk factors and pregnancy outcomes associated with retinopathy in patients presenting with severe preeclampsia: A retrospective cohort study

The visual system was reported to be affected in over half of patients with preeclampsia (PE), though fundus examination was performed only among patients complaining of visual symptoms. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of PE-related retinopathy may lead to permanent visual impairment. Therefore, we hypothesize that some clinical or laboratory parameters could predict severity of retinal damage.The aim of the study was to explore the risk factors for retinopathy in severe preeclampsia (sPE) and investigate pregnancy outcomes with different degrees of retinopathy.This retrospective cohort study included women with sPE who underwent ophthalmoscopy and delivered after admission to West China Second University Hospital, between June 2013 and December 2016. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were retrieved from medical records. Patients confirmed with retinopathy were followed up with telephones. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors of PE-related retinopathy.Five hundred thirty-four patients were included, of which 17.6% having stage-1/2 retinopathy, 14.6% having stage-3/4 retinopathy, and 67.8% having normal retina. Compared with patients without retinopathy, patients with stage 3/4 retinopathy were more likely to have preterm-birth and low-birth-weight babies. Significant risk factors for stage 3/4 retinopathy in sPE included severe hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-4.56), elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts (OR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.05-3.35), decreased platelet counts (OR 2.12, 95% CI: 1.07-4.48), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration of >800 IU/L (OR 2.31, 95% CI: 1.05-5.06), low hemoglobin (HGB) concentrations of <110 g/L (OR 3.73, 95% CI: 1.21-11.47), 24-hour proteinuria of 2 to 5 g (OR 6.39, 95% CI: 2.84-14.39), and >5 g (OR 8.66, 95% CI: 3.67-20.44).This study confirms the association between retinopathy and preterm-birth and low-birth weight in sPE. The risk factors for severe PE-related retinopathy, including severe hypertension, platelet and WBC count, HGB and LDH concentration, and proteinuria, are associated with the development of retinopathy. Routine and repeated fundus examination is recommended for maternal monitoring in sPE.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy increase the risk of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration in later life

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and short-term adverse outcomes have long been recognized; however, survivors remain at risk of long-term complications. We investigated whether HDP is associated with the development of choroidal neovascular age-related macular degeneration (CNV AMD). Methods: We identified 31,454 women who experienced HDP based on Utah birth certificates and 62,908 unexposed women matched 2:1 to the exposed. Risk of CNV AMD was estimated using Cox models. Findings: Women with HDP exhibited an 80% higher risk for early CNV AMD (age < 70 y; 95%CI 1.23-2.58). Conclusion: Our findings may have implications forearlier CNV AMD screening and detection.

The Role of Melatonin in Oxidative Stress, DNA Damage, Apoptosis and Angiogenesis in Fetal Eye under Preeclampsia and Melatonin Deficiency Stress

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms of ocular damage induced by pinealectomy (PNX) and preeclampsia (PE), and to determine the cellular and molecular effects of melatonin treatment on oxidative stress, DNA damage, molecular chaperone responses, induction of apoptosis and angiogenesis in the fetal eye of both PNX and PNX+PE animals. Material and Methods: We analysed therapeutic potential of melatonin on fetal eye damage in PNX and PNX+PE animals using Malondialdehyde (MDA), Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), qRT-PCR and Western blot assays. Results: Our study presents three preliminary findings: (a) in fetal eye tissues, PNX and PNX+PE significantly induce oxidative damage to both DNA and protein contents, leading to a dramatic increase in caspase-dependent apoptotic signalling in both mitochondrial and death receptor pathways; (b) the same conditions trigger hypoxia biomarkers in addition to significant overexpression of HIF1-α, HIF1-β, MMP9 and VEGF genes in the fetal eye; (c) finally, melatonin regulates not only the expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and increase in DNA damage as well as lipid peroxidation but also limits programmed cell death processes in the fetal eye of PNX and PNX+PE animals . Furthermore, melatonin can relatively modulate genes in the HIF1 family, TNF-α and VEGF, thus acting as a direct anti-angiogenic molecule. In conclusion, both PNX and PNX+PE induce ocular damage at both cellular and molecular levels in fetal eye tissue of rats. Conclusion: Our results clearly indicate the potential of melatonin as a preventative therapeutic intervention for fetal ocular damage triggered by both PNX and PNX+PE.

Ultrasound assessment of visual loss during severe preeclampsia: a case report

Bilateral retinal detachments and cortical blindness are rare complications of preeclampsia and the association of the two pathologies is exceptional. We report the case of a preeclamptic patient who presented with an acute bilateral vision loss. Besides, her ocular ultrasound revealed bilateral retinal detachments and an elevated optic nerve sheath diameter. The patient underwent an urgent cesarean section. Subsequently, magnetic resonance imaging and ocular fundus examination confirmed the diagnosis.

Short-term costs of preeclampsia to the United States health care system

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality and adverse neonatal outcomes. Little is known about the extent of the health and cost burden of preeclampsia in the United States.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to quantify the annual epidemiological and health care cost burden of preeclampsia to both mothers and infants in the United States in 2012.

STUDY DESIGN

We used epidemiological and econometric methods to assess the annual cost of preeclampsia in the United States using a combination of population-based and administrative data sets: the National Center for Health Statistics Vital Statistics on Births, the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative Databases, the US Health Care Cost and Utilization Project database, and a commercial claims data set.

RESULTS

Preeclampsia increased the probability of an adverse event from 4.6% to 10.1% for mothers and from 7.8% to 15.4% for infants while lowering gestational age by 1.7 weeks (P < .001). Overall, the total cost burden of preeclampsia during the first 12 months after birth was $1.03 billion for mothers and $1.15 billion for infants. The cost burden per infant is dependent on gestational age, ranging from $150,000 at 26 weeks gestational age to $1311 at 36 weeks gestational age.

CONCLUSION

In 2012, the cost of preeclampsia within the first 12 months of delivery was $2.18 billion in the United States ($1.03 billion for mothers and $1.15 billion for infants), and was disproportionately borne by births of low gestational age.

Climate and the eye: Case-crossover analysis of retinal detachment after exposure to ambient heat

BACKGROUND

Retinal detachment is an important cause of visual loss, but the association with outdoor heat exposure has not been studied. Our objective was to determine the relationship between acute exposure to high outdoor temperature and risk of retinal detachment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analysed 14,302 individuals with inpatient procedures for retinal detachment from April through September between 2006 and 2013 in the province of Quebec, Canada. Using a time-stratified case-crossover study design, we examined the association of retinal detachment with outdoor summer temperature the preceding week. We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for mean weekly temperature according to subtypes of retinal detachment (traction, serous, rhegmatogenous, breaks), and assessed associations by age and sex.

RESULTS

Exposure to elevated temperature the preceding week was associated with a higher likelihood of traction detachment, but not other forms of retinal detachment. Associations were stronger at <75 years of age in both men and women. Relative to 15°C, a mean weekly temperature of 25°C was associated with an OR for traction detachment of 2.71 (95% CI 1.56-4.71) before 55 years, 2.73 (95% CI 1.61-4.64) at 55-64 years, and 1.98 (95% CI 1.30-3.02) at 64-75 years.

DISCUSSION

Elevated outdoor temperatures may be associated with an increased risk of traction retinal detachment. In light of climate change, a better understanding of the impact of heat waves on the eye and other sensory organs is needed.