REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS It remains unclear whether antihypertensive drug therapy for mild-moderate hypertension during pregnancy is worthwhile
BACKGROUND Mild-moderate hypertension during pregnancy is common .
Antihypertensive drugs are often used in the belief that lowering blood pressure will prevent progression to more severe disease , and thereby improve outcome .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of antihypertensive drug treatments for women with mild to moderate hypertension during pregnancy .
Treatment of hypertension during pregnancy with hydralazine monotherapy or with combined therapy with hydralazine and pindolol.
Forty-four consecutive patients referred for treatment because of hypertension ( greater than 150/90 mmHg ) occurring during pregnancy were r and omly allocated to one of two treatment groups , hydralazine alone ( n = 21 ) or hydralazine combined with pindolol ( n = 23 ) . Satisfactory blood pressure control ( diastolic pressure less than 90 mmHg ) was achieved in 86 % of patients receiving hydralazine alone and 91 % of those on combined therapy . Although the treatment did not lower the overall incidence of hypertensive complications it appeared to delay the onset of such complications until successful surgical intervention was possible . Fetal outcome was similar in both groups and there was no perinatal mortality in this high-risk population . Although blood pressure control was similar in both groups of patients , combined therapy with hydralazine and pindolol can be considered to be superior to hydralazine monotherapy , since in patients treated with the combination the incidence and intensity of troublesome side-effects was markedly lower
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS It remains unclear whether antihypertensive drug therapy for mild-moderate hypertension during pregnancy is worthwhile
BACKGROUND Mild-moderate hypertension during pregnancy is common .
Antihypertensive drugs are often used in the belief that lowering blood pressure will prevent progression to more severe disease , and thereby improve outcome .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of antihypertensive drug treatments for women with mild to moderate hypertension during pregnancy .