Assessment of proteinuria in pregnancy

Management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: a Position Statement of the European Society of Hypertension Working Group 'Hypertension in Women'

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP), remain the leading cause of adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes. Epidemiological factors, comorbidities, assisted reproduction techniques, placental disorders, and genetic predisposition determine the burden of the disease. The pathophysiological substrate and the clinical presentation of HDP are multifarious. The latter and the lack of well designed clinical trials in the field explain the absence of consensus on disease management among relevant international societies. Thus, the usual clinical management of HDP is largely empirical. The current position statement of the Working Group 'Hypertension in Women' of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) aims to employ the current evidence for the management of HDP, discuss the recommendations made in the 2023 ESH guidelines for the management of hypertension, and shed light on controversial issues in the field to stimulate future research.

Cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study of self-testing for proteinuria during hypertensive pregnancies: The UDIP study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the accuracy of self-testing for proteinuria during pregnancy.

DESIGN

Diagnostic accuracy study.

SETTING

Antenatal clinics, maternity assessment units and inpatient wards at three hospital sites.

POPULATION OR SAMPLE

345 pregnant women.

METHODS

Pregnant women self-tested in-clinic for urinary protein using visually read dipsticks with samples then sent for laboratory estimation of the spot protein-creatinine ratio (PCR) (primary reference test). Secondary index tests included testing by antenatal healthcare professionals and an automated colorimetric reader.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and likelihood ratios were calculated for self-testing (primary index test) along with healthcare professional and colorimetric testing compared to the primary reference test (PCR).

RESULTS

335/345 (97%) had sufficient data to be included in the analysis. Self-testing had a sensitivity of 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-0.79) and a specificity of 0.89 (95% CI 0.84-0.92) compared to PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of testing by healthcare professionals and the colorimetric reader were similar: sensitivity 0.73 (95% CI 0.64-0.80) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.69-0.85), respectively; specificity 0.88 (95% CI 0.82-0.92) and 0.83 (95% CI 0.78-0.88), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Pregnant women can visually read a dipstick for urinary protein with similar accuracy to antenatal healthcare professionals. Automated colorimetric testing was not significantly different, in contrast to some previous studies. Self-testing has the potential to form part of a self-monitoring regime in pregnancy.

Guide de Pratique Clinique. Prise en charge de l’hypertension artérielle chez l’adulte en Tunisie

Ce document a été réalisé dans le cadre d'une collaboration entre l'Instance Nationale de l’Évaluation et de l'Accréditation en Santé (INEAS), la Société Tunisienne de Cardiologie et de Chirurgie Cardiovasculaire (STCCCV) et la Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie (CNAM).

Peripartum management of hypertension: a position paper of the ESC Council on Hypertension and the European Society of Hypertension

Hypertensive disorders are the most common medical complications in the peripartum period associated with a substantial increase in morbidity and mortality. Hypertension in the peripartum period may be due to the continuation of pre-existing or gestational hypertension, de novo development of pre-eclampsia or it may be also induced by some drugs used for analgesia or suppression of postpartum haemorrhage. Women with severe hypertension and hypertensive emergencies are at high risk of life-threatening complications, therefore, despite the lack of evidence-based data, based on expert opinion, antihypertensive treatment is recommended. Labetalol intravenously and methyldopa orally are then the two most frequently used drugs. Short-acting oral nifedipine is suggested to be used only if other drugs or iv access are not available. Induction of labour is associated with improved maternal outcome and should be advised for women with gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia at 37 weeks' gestation. This position paper provides the first interdisciplinary approach to the management of hypertension in the peripartum period based on the best available evidence and expert consensus.

Epidemiology and maternal prognosis of hypertension disorders of pregnancy in French Guiana

BACKGROUND

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are responsible for high maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

Our primary objective was to report the epidemiological and clinical features of HDP in Cayenne General Hospital. Our secondary objectives were to search for factors associated to preeclampsia (PE) and to severe PE in patients with HDP.

METHODS

Our study was observational and non-interventional. It was conducted over 4-month period (January to April 2019) in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit of the Cayenne General Hospital. We included all pregnant women after 20 weeks of gestation (WG), who gave birth and who presented HDP and/or PE.

RESULTS

During the study period 1243 patients gave birth in our unit. Among them, 156 were diagnosed with HDP (12.6%). The median age was 33 years (IQR 28 - 38 years). The most frequent medical histories were diabetes (27.5%) and chronic hypertension (23.5%). The socioeconomic status was low in 31% of patients. Ninety-four patients (61.4%) developed PE with a severe form in 80.9% of cases. HELLP syndrome was diagnosed in 6.5% and nephropathy in 3.3% of cases. Delivery was by cesarean in 49.7% of cases. The median gestational age at delivery was 37 WG (IQR: 35-39). Multivariate analysis showed no independent factors associated with the occurrence of PE or severe PE in patients with HDP.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows a high prevalence of PE in patients with HDP. Hospitalization and repeated clinical evaluation are needed to screen for women exposed to develop PE or severe PE.

2018 ESC/ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology and the European Society of Hypertension: The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology and the European Society of Hypertension

: Document reviewers: Guy De Backer (ESC Review Co-ordinator) (Belgium), Anthony M. Heagerty (ESH Review Co-ordinator) (UK), Stefan Agewall (Norway), Murielle Bochud (Switzerland), Claudio Borghi (Italy), Pierre Boutouyrie (France), Jana Brguljan (Slovenia), Héctor Bueno (Spain), Enrico G. Caiani (Italy), Bo Carlberg (Sweden), Neil Chapman (UK), Renata Cifkova (Czech Republic), John G. F. Cleland (UK), Jean-Philippe Collet (France), Ioan Mircea Coman (Romania), Peter W. de Leeuw (The Netherlands), Victoria Delgado (The Netherlands), Paul Dendale (Belgium), Hans-Christoph Diener (Germany), Maria Dorobantu (Romania), Robert Fagard (Belgium), Csaba Farsang (Hungary), Marc Ferrini (France), Ian M. Graham (Ireland), Guido Grassi (Italy), Hermann Haller (Germany), F. D. Richard Hobbs (UK), Bojan Jelakovic (Croatia), Catriona Jennings (UK), Hugo A. Katus (Germany), Abraham A. Kroon (The Netherlands), Christophe Leclercq (France), Dragan Lovic (Serbia), Empar Lurbe (Spain), Athanasios J. Manolis (Greece), Theresa A. McDonagh (UK), Franz Messerli (Switzerland), Maria Lorenza Muiesan (Italy), Uwe Nixdorff (Germany), Michael Hecht Olsen (Denmark), Gianfranco Parati (Italy), Joep Perk (Sweden), Massimo Francesco Piepoli (Italy), Jorge Polonia (Portugal), Piotr Ponikowski (Poland), Dimitrios J. Richter (Greece), Stefano F. Rimoldi (Switzerland), Marco Roffi (Switzerland), Naveed Sattar (UK), Petar M. Seferovic (Serbia), Iain A. Simpson (UK), Miguel Sousa-Uva (Portugal), Alice V. Stanton (Ireland), Philippe van de Borne (Belgium), Panos Vardas (Greece), Massimo Volpe (Italy), Sven Wassmann (Germany), Stephan Windecker (Switzerland), Jose Luis Zamorano (Spain).The disclosure forms of all experts involved in the development of these Guidelines are available on the ESC website www.escardio.org/guidelines.

Fetal undernutrition, placental insufficiency, and pancreatic β-cell development programming in utero

The prevalence of obesity and type 2 (T2D) diabetes is a major health concern in the United States and around the world. T2D is a complex disease characterized by pancreatic β-cell failure in association with obesity and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. Although several genes associated with T2D have been identified, it is speculated that genetic variants account for only <10% of the risk for this disease. A strong body of data from both human epidemiological and animal studies shows that fetal nutrient factors in utero confer significant susceptibility to T2D. Numerous studies done in animals have shown that suboptimal maternal environment or placental insufficiency causes intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in the fetus, a critical factor known to predispose offspring to obesity and T2D, in part by causing permanent consequences in total functional β-cell mass. This review will focus on the potential contribution of the placenta in fetal programming of obesity and TD and its likely impact on pancreatic β-cell development and growth.

Spot protein-creatinine ratio and spot albumin-creatinine ratio in the assessment of pre-eclampsia: a diagnostic accuracy study with decision-analytic model-based economic evaluation and acceptability analysis

BACKGROUND

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines highlighted the need for 'large, high-quality prospective studies comparing the various methods of measuring proteinuria in women with new-onset hypertensive disorders during pregnancy'.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective was to evaluate quantitative assessments of spot protein-creatinine ratio (SPCR) and spot albumin-creatinine ratio (SACR) in predicting severe pre-eclampsia (PE) compared with 24-hour urine protein measurement. The secondary objectives were to investigate interlaboratory assay variation, to evaluate SPCR and SACR thresholds in predicting adverse maternal and fetal outcomes and to assess the cost-effectiveness of these models.

DESIGN

This was a prospective diagnostic accuracy cohort study, with decision-analytic modelling and a cost-effectiveness analysis.

SETTING

The setting was 36 obstetric units in England, UK.

PARTICIPANTS

Pregnant women (aged ≥ 16 years), who were at > 20 weeks' gestation with confirmed gestational hypertension and trace or more proteinuria on an automated dipstick urinalysis.

INTERVENTIONS

Women provided a spot urine sample for protein analysis (the recruitment sample) and were asked to collect a 24-hour urine sample, which was stored for secondary analysis. A further spot sample of urine was taken immediately before delivery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcome data were collected from hospital records. There were four index tests on a spot sample of urine: (1) SPCR test (conducted at the local laboratory); (2) SPCR test [conducted at the central laboratory using the benzethonium chloride (BZC) assay]; (3) SPCR test [conducted at the central laboratory using the pyrogallol red (PGR) assay]; and (4) SACR test (conducted at the central laboratory using an automated chemistry analyser). The comparator tests on 24-hour urine collection were a central test using the BZC assay and a central test using the PGR assay. The primary reference standard was the NICE definition of severe PE. Secondary reference standards were a clinician diagnosis of severe PE, which is defined as treatment with magnesium sulphate or with severe PE protocol; adverse perinatal outcome; one or more of perinatal or infant mortality, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotising enterocolitis or grade III/IV intraventricular haemorrhage; and economic cost and outcomes. Health service data on service use and costs followed published economic models.

RESULTS

In total, 959 women were available for primary analysis and 417 of them had severe PE. The diagnostic accuracy of the four assays on spot urine samples against the reference standards was similar. The three SPCR tests had sensitivities in excess of 90% at prespecified thresholds, with poor specificities and negative likelihood ratios of ≥ 0.1. The SACR test had a significantly higher sensitivity of 99% (confidence interval 98% to 100%) and lower specificity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were similar (area under ROC curve between 0.87 and 0.89); the area under the central laboratory's SACR curve was significantly higher (p = 0.004). The central laboratory's SACR test was the most cost-effective option, generating an additional 0.03 quality-adjusted life-years at an additional cost of £45.07 compared with the local laboratory's SPCR test. The probabilistic analysis showed it to have a 100% probability of being cost-effective at the standard willingness-to-pay threshold recommended by NICE.

LIMITATIONS

Implementation of NICE guidelines has led to an increased intervention rate in the study population that affected recruitment rates and led to revised sample size calculations.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence from this clinical study does not support the recommendation of 24-hour urine sample collection in hypertensive pregnant women. The SACR test had better diagnostic performance when predicting severe pre-eclampsia. All four tests could potentially be used as rule-out tests for the NICE definition of severe PE.

FUTURE WORK

Testing SACR at a threshold of 8 mg/mmol should be studied as a 'rule-out' test of proteinuria.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN82607486.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 21, No. 61. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Current best practice in the management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

Preeclampsia is a potentially serious complication of pregnancy with increasing significance worldwide. Preeclampsia is the cause of 9%–26% of global maternal mortality and a significant proportion of preterm delivery, and maternal and neonatal morbidity. Incidence is increasing in keeping with the increase in obesity, maternal age, and women with medical comorbidities entering pregnancy. Recent developments in the understanding of the pathophysiology of preeclampsia have opened new avenues for prevention, screening, and management of this condition. In addition it is known that preeclampsia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in both the mother and the child and presents an opportunity for early preventative measures. New tools for early detection, prevention, and management of preeclampsia have the potential to revolutionize practice in the coming years. This review presents the current best practice in diagnosis and management of preeclampsia and the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.