Discover overlooked complications after preeclampsia from three real-world medical record datasets of over 100,000 pregnancies
Authors: Zhu Haoming , Yang Xiaotong , Tao Leyang , Xie Wanling , Chang Jui-Hsuan , Wang Zhiping Paul , Langen Elizabeth , Li Ruowang , Gamire Lana X 
Published: December 2023

Structured Abstract

Importance

Preeclampsia poses a significant threat to women’s long-term health. However, what diseases are affected and at what level they are affected by PE needs a thorough investigation.

Objective

To conduct the first large-scale, non-hypothesis-driven study using EHR data from multiple medical centers to comprehensively explore adverse health outcomes after preeclampsia

Design

Retrospective multi-cohort case-control study

Participants

We analyzed 3,592 preeclampsia patients and 23,040 non-preeclampsia controls from the University of Michigan Healthcare System. We externally validated the findings using UK Biobank data (443 cases, 14,870 controls) and Cedar Sinai data(2755 cases, 60,305 controls).

Main outcomes

We showed that six complications are significantly affected by PE. We demonstrate the effect of race as well as preeclampsia severity on these complications.

Results

PE significantly increases the risk of later hypertension, uncomplicated and complicated diabetes, renal failure and obesity, after careful confounder adjustment. We also identified that hypothyroidism risks are significantly reduced in PE patients, particularly among African Americans. Severe PE affects hypertension, renal failure, uncomplicated diabetes and obesity more than mild PE, as expected. Caucasians are affected more negatively than African Americans by PE on future hypertension, uncomplicated and complicated diabetes and obesity.

Conclusion

This study fills a gap in the comprehensive assessment of preeclampsia’s long-term effects using large-scale EHR data and rigorous statistical methods. Our findings emphasize the need for extended monitoring and tailored interventions for women with a history of preeclampsia, by considering pre-existing conditions, preeclampsia severity, and racial differences.

Key Points

Question

Which complications are more or less likely to occur in patients after preeclampsia (PE), compared to those with normal pregnancies? How do the severity of PE and patient race further affect these complications?

Findings

In a retrospective case-control study on 3 datasets (n = 26,632, n = 15,313, n= 63,060), we identified 5 complications with significantly increased risk due to PE, including hypertension, uncomplicated and complicated diabetes, renal failure and obesity, after careful confounder adjustment. We also identified that hypothyroidism risks are reduced in PE patients, particularly significant among African Americans. Severe PE affects hypertension, renal failure, uncomplicated diabetes and obesity more than mild PE, as expected. Caucasians are affected more negatively than African Americans by PE on future hypertension, uncomplicated and complicated diabetes and obesity.

Meaning

Patients with a history of PE should be closely monitored and carefully assessed for the risks of developing these complications.