A prospective controlled trial of metoprolol-hydralazine treatment in hypertension during pregnancy. A randomized comparison of early with conservative use of antihypertensive drugs in the management of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Nifedipine versus expectant management in mild to moderate hypertension in pregnancy. Gruppo di Studio Ipertensione in Gravidanza. Antihypertensive treatment and pregnancy outcome in patients with mild chronic hypertension. A comparison of no medication versus methyldopa or labetalol in chronic hypertension during pregnancy. Treatment of hypertension during pregnancy with hydralazine monotherapy or with combined therapy with hydralazine and pindolol. Short-term treatment of severe hypertension of pregnancy: prospective comparison of nicardipine and labetalol. [Management of severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Comparison between nifedipine and hydralazine as antihypertensive agents]. Comparison of antihypertensive efficacy and perinatal safety of labetalol and methyldopa in the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. A comparative study of the use of epoprostenol and dihydralazine in severe hypertension in pregnancy. A randomised placebo controlled trial of labetalol in the treatment of mild to moderate pregnancy induced hypertension. Nicardipine versus metoprolol in the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy: a randomized comparative trial. Effect of exercise on blood pressure in pregnant women with a high risk of gestational hypertensive disorders. Nifedipine or hydralazine as a first-line agent to control hypertension in severe preeclampsia. Comparison of labetalol and dihydralazine in hypertensive emergencies of pregnancy. A randomized trial of tight vs. less tight control of mild essential and gestational hypertension in pregnancy. Ketanserin versus alpha-methyldopa in the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy: a preliminary report. Comparison of the alpha and beta blocking drug, labetalol, and methyl dopa in the treatment of moderate and severe pregnancy-induced hypertension. A comparative trial of labetalol and hydralazine in the acute management of severe hypertension complicating pregnancy. The fetal outcome in a randomized double-blind controlled trial of labetalol versus placebo in pregnancy-induced hypertension. Methyldopa versus no drug treatment in the management of mild pre-eclampsia. Low dose aspirin in prevention of pregnancy-induced hypertension in primigravidae at the Muhimbili Medical Center, Dar es Salaam. Randomised controlled comparative study of methyldopa and oxprenolol in treatment of hypertension in pregnancy. Treatment of hypertension in pregnancy with methyldopa: a randomized double blind study. Low-dose aspirin therapy and hypertensive pregnancy complications in unselected IVF and ICSI patients: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. A study of use of low dose aspirin in prevention of pregnancy induced hypertension.
In an open, controlled trial, treatment with a combination of metoprolol and hydralazine was compared with non-pharmacological management of mild and moderate hypertension in pregnancy. One hundred and sixty-one women participated in the study. The drug-treated group showed significantly better blood pressure control than the group not given antihypertensives. Induction of labor before term, because of maternal or fetal complications, was somewhat more frequent in the control group. Nine women in the treatment group and 5 in the control group developed albuminuria. Three infants in the drug-treated group died perinatally, and one in the control group. The outcome for the newborns was similar in both groups concerning birth weight, head circumference and Apgar score and in the frequencies of respiratory distress, bradycardia and hypoglycemia. The better blood pressure control achieved with these drugs makes it possible to treat the patient at home and reduce the risk of emergency delivery, but treatment does not seem to be mandatory for a good outcome of the pregnancy in cases of mild and moderate hypertension during pregnancy. Two treatment strategies were compared in 155 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension who were also given comprehensive non-pharmacological care. The mean gestation at entry was 28 weeks. As long as the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) remained below 106 mmHg, oxprenolol, or oxprenolol plus dihydralazine, were given to the early treatment group, and matching placebos to the control group. Open antihypertensive treatment was provided for patients whose DBP rose above 105 mmHg. Proteinuria occurred in seven women in each group. In the early treatment group, 13 of the 78 women were delivered by caesarean section; the corresponding numbers in the control group were 27 of 76 (17 vs 36%, 95% confidence interval (CI) of difference: 5-33%); the sections included seven and 16 in the early treatment and control groups, respectively, for severe hypertension and/or fetal distress. There were five perinatal deaths, two in the early treatment group and three in the control group. Early treatment did not influence gestational age at birth or birthweight. Respiratory distress syndrome occurred in four infants in the early treated group and in 10 in the control group; 14 infants in the former group and 26 in the latter were in hospital for more than 10 days (18 vs 35%; 95% CI of difference 4-32%). These results indicate that early antihypertensive treatment with oxprenolol is safe for the fetus and newborn in pregnancy-induced hypertension, but has no advantage over non-pharmacological care in terms of fetal growth. However, it may prevent acute hypertension in late pregnancy and associated fetal distress, and thus reduce the number of caesarean sections. To compare the effect of routine treatment with the calcium channel blocker nifedipine in mild to moderate hypertension in pregnancy.
                Randomised clinical trial.
                General and University hospitals.
                Pregnant women, between 12 and 34 weeks of gestation, with chronic, pregnancy-induced or unclassifiable hypertension and diastolic pressure between 90 and 110 mmHg.
                Eligible women were randomly assigned treatment with slow-release nifedipine, 10 mg twice daily until delivery, or no treatment. In the no treatment group nifedipine was given if the diastolic pressure exceeded 110 mmHg. A total of 145 women were assigned nifedipine and 138 no treatment.
                In the nifedipine group 45.0% of women were delivered before term, compared with 37.0% in the no treatment group; the difference was not significant. In all, 56.3% of women allocated nifedipine and 62.1% allocated no treatment underwent caesarean section; the difference was not statistically different (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.1). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the percentage of babies weighing less than the 10th centile (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.4-1.4) or in the mean birthweight. The frequency of admission of infants to the neonatal intensive care unit was not affected by treatment.
                This trial found no benefit on pregnancy outcome of routine treatment with nifedipine. In clinical practice, the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy may be delayed until the hypertension becomes severe. nan Three hundred women with mild chronic hypertension at 6 to 13 weeks' gestation were randomly allocated to receive either methyldopa or labetalol or be in the control group. Thirty-seven women (12%) were excluded for various reasons. Of the remaining 263 patients, 90 received no drug, 87 received methyldopa, and 86 received labetalol. All 263 were followed throughout pregnancy with serial renal function tests and serial assessment of fetal status. There were no differences among the three groups in mean systolic or diastolic blood pressures, mean gestational age, or initial laboratory findings at time of entry. Patients treated with medications had significantly lower (p less than 0.0001) systolic and diastolic blood pressures throughout gestation compared with the no-medication group. Among the control group there was a spontaneously significant lowering (p less than 0.0001) of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures at 14 to 26 weeks' gestation. However, there were no differences among the three groups regarding the incidences of either superimposed preeclampsia (15.6%, 18.4%, and 16.3%, respectively), abruptio placentae (2.2%, 1.1%, and 2.3%, respectively), or preterm delivery (10%, 12.5%, and 11.6%, respectively). In addition, there were no differences among the groups regarding gestational age at delivery, birth weight, incidence of fetal growth retardation, or neonatal head circumference. There was one midtrimester loss in the methyldopa group and one stillbirth in each of the other groups. We conclude that treatment of maternal blood pressure in mild chronic hypertension during pregnancy did not improve perinatal outcome. Forty-four consecutive patients referred for treatment because of hypertension (greater than 150/90 mmHg) occurring during pregnancy were randomly 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. To assess the efficacy and safety of nicardipine in comparison to labetalol in the initial management of severe hypertension in pregnancy. DESIGN. Randomized prospective study.
                The obstetric ward of the teaching hospital of Monastir Tunisia.
                Sixty consecutive pregnant women admitted beyond the 24th week of pregnancy with severe hypertension.
                Patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenously for 1 h either labetalol ( n=30) or nicardipine ( n=30). Treatment was titrated to achieve a 20% lowering of blood pressure (BP).
                Maternal BP and heart rate were measured at inclusion and repeatedly during the first hour following the drugs administration. Fetal heart rate was recorded throughout the study period. The main outcome endpoints were the success rate and the length of time needed to achieve the therapeutic goal. The rate of maternal and fetal adverse events and dose adjustments were also analyzed.
                Labetalol and nicardipine achieved the 20% lowering in BP in the same proportion (63% and 70% success rates, respectively). Overall nicardipine caused a significantly greater decrease in systolic and diastolic BP. No patient had any episode of hypotension. The length of time to achieve the BP goal was also similar (12 vs. 11 min, respectively). Both drugs were well tolerated except for a moderate tachycardia observed with the use of nicardipine.
                Nicardipine and labetalol are effective and safe in the initial treatment of severe hypertension of pregnancy. The objective was to compare the fetal and maternal effects between parenteral hydralazine and sublingual nifedipine used like antihypertensive drugs in the management of severe preeclampsia. Study design was prospective, comparative, longitudinal, randomized clinical trial. It was carried out at Centro Medico Nacional IMSS Torreon, Coah. Gynecology and Obstetrics Department. The patients were women in the last trimester of pregnancy with severe preeclampsia were randomized to receive parenteral hydralazine or sublingual nifedipine as antihypertensive drugs. The only difference observed in this study was the Apgar of neonates whose mothers received hydralazine, that was significatively lesser than the Apgar of neonates whose mothers received nifedipine. Both medicaments are a good alternative as antihypertensive drugs in severe preeclampsia. Neonates whose mothers received Nifedipine had a higher Apgar. Labetalol was compared with methyldopa in a randomized controlled trial involving 176 pregnant women with mild to moderate hypertension. Diastolic blood pressure below 86 mmHg was obtained in a similar proportion of women given labetalol or methyldopa. Intrauterine death occurred in four women treated with methyldopa, and the one neonatal death on day 1 occurred in the labetalol group. The average birthweight and the proportion of preterm or small-for-gestational-age babies were similar in both groups. Heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, respiratory rate, and Silverman score of the babies did not differ between the two treatment groups, whether the comparison was made for all the infants, or only for those that were preterm or small-for-gestational-age. These data indicate that maternal beta-blockade with labetalol is as safe as methyldopa for the fetus and the newborn. To compare the antihypertensive effects of epoprostenol sodium (prostacyclin) with that of dihydralazine in acute hypertensive crises of pregnancy.
                A prospective randomized study. A minimum of 20 patients per group was considered statistically acceptable (alpha = 0.05, power = 0.9).
                A large urban tertiary hospital.
                Forty-seven pregnant patients with diastolic blood pressures of > 100 mmHg were studied.
                Lowering of high blood pressure with either dihydralazine (n = 25), the standard drug for this purpose, or epoprostenol (n = 22).
                A significant drop in high blood pressure was regarded as a fall of 15 mmHg diastolic and 30 mmHg systolic blood pressure.
                There were no statistically significant differences in the antihypertensive effects between the two treatment groups. Epoprostenol infusion caused less tachycardia; the mean pulse rate changed from 81.77 beats/min, before treatment to 88.36 at stabilization, compared with a change from 80.96 beats/min to 102.68 in the group treated with dihydralazine (P = 0.0024).
                The place of epoprostenol in pregnancy might be in patients with severe hypertension and tachycardia and in those requiring acute control of severe hypertension on the operating table before general anaesthesia. To determine the need for, and efficacy of, treatment with labetalol in women with mild-to-moderate pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).
                Prospective double-blind randomised placebo controlled study.
                Maternity units of five hospitals in the Trent Region.
                144 women (86 primigravid) who developed PIH after 20 weeks gestation.
                Treatment with oral labetalol up to 600 mg daily or placebo with subsequent care of treatment failures in accordance with the attending obstetrician's practice.
                Number of days spent as an antenatal inpatient; the development of proteinuria; the perceived need for induction of labour or elective caesarean section; and gestation age at delivery.
                Labetalol significantly lowered the blood pressure and reduced the incidence of proteinuria. However, neither the number of days spent as an antenatal inpatient, nor the perceived need for induction of delivery or elective caesarean section, nor the gestation age at delivery differed significantly between the two treatment groups. Post-randomisation consideration of early (< or = 32 weeks) and late (> 32 weeks) onset groups showed the placebo treated early-onset group (n = 15) to have more patients with severe hypertension (> 150/110 mmHg) and a greater requirement for additional antihypertensive therapy prior to labour than the group treated with labetalol (n = 16).
                Anti-hypertensive intervention therapy in pregnancy induced hypertension has been examined using a placebo controlled randomised double-blind trial of labetalol in pregnancy. The maximum blood pressure prior to labour and the incidence of proteinuria was reduced in women on active therapy. However, the length of gestation was not significantly prolonged and indices of clinical outcome were not significantly altered. The appropriateness of pharmacological therapy for late-onset PIH may be questioned. To compare the effects of treatment with nicardipine and metoprolol in patients with hypertension during pregnancy.
                One hundred pregnant patients with mild or moderate hypertension followed at the Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil (France) were randomly allocated to treatment with either nicardipine or metoprolol. Changes in maternal blood pressure (BP), laboratory indices, umbilical Doppler velocimetry, and neonatal outcome were compared by means of Student t test, chi 2 test, and analysis of variance.
                Nicardipine decreased maternal systolic and diastolic BP more than metoprolol (P < .001). Umbilical artery resistance was lower in nicardipine-treated patients (P < .001). Plasma uric acid and creatinine concentrations were increased less markedly in the nicardipine group (P < .05 and P < .01, respectively). The incidence of cesarean delivery for fetal distress was lower in the nicardipine group (P < .01). There was a trend toward higher birth weights in the nicardipine group but no significant difference in neonatal outcome.
                Nicardipine is more effective than metoprolol in decreasing maternal BP; neonatal outcome is not significantly different. To prospectively determine whether moderate exercise during pregnancy lowers blood pressure.
                A randomized, controlled trial with one test group and one control group. All subjects have a history of mild hypertension, gestational hypertensive disorders or a family history of hypertensive disorders. Subjects were recruited before 14 weeks' gestation. After four weeks of observation, the subjects were randomly assigned to either the exercise or control group. The exercise group visited the laboratory three times a week for 10 weeks (18-28 gestation weeks) to perform 30 minutes of exercise at Rating of Perceived Exertion level 13.
                A total of 16 pregnant women (mean age, 30 years) participated. The mean metabolic equivalent during exercise sessions was 4.7 (SD = 0.8). Blood pressure measurements were compared before and after the 10-week exercise period in the two groups. Systolic blood pressures did not change significantly, but diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the exercise group decreased by 3.5 mm Hg, while that in the control group increased by 1.1 mm Hg. Thus, the pre-post change in DBP differed by 4.6 mm Hg between groups. Exercise treatment reduced the diastolic blood pressure to a near-significant level in the exercise group (t = 2.34, df = 7, P = .052). Percent body fat did not differ between the exercise and control groups either before or after exercise treatment. ANOVA revealed that pregnancy had a significant effect (F(1, 14) = 5.7, P = .03) on increasing the percentage of fat, but exercise treatment did not (F(1, 14) = .18, P = .68). Estimated energy expenditure in overall daily physical activities during the intervention did not differ between the two groups despite the inclusion of exercise.
                This study detected a strong trend that 10 weeks of moderate exercise lowered the diastolic blood pressure among pregnant women at risk of hypertensive disorders. The reductions were probably due to the effect of exercise itself, not to weight or overall daily physical activity levels. Pre-eclampsia is one of the most serious and common complications of pregnancy. Nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, and the vasodilator hydralazine have both been used as antihypertensive agents in this condition. The aim of this study was to determine which of these two agents is the most appropriate antihypertensive in the management of severe pre-eclampsia.
                One hundred and twenty-six pre-eclamptic patients with a gestational age of more than 20 weeks were randomized to receive either 8 mg nifedipine sublingually or 5-10 mg intravenous hydralazine. Women with a history of heart failure and women receiving antihypertensive treatment during the course of the current pregnancy were excluded. For each patient the following data were recorded; the number of drug administrations, the time needed to control blood pressure, mean urinary output, the time interval between effective control and a new hypertensive crisis after each drug administration and relevant adverse effects in mother or fetus.
                Effective control of blood pressure was achieved in both treatment arms. Data analysis indicated significantly fewer drug administrations in the nifedipine arm of the study. The time interval before a new hypertensive crisis following initial effective control of blood pressure was significantly longer in the nifedipine group when compared with hydralazine. Effective control of blood pressure was achieved more rapidly in multiparous patients receiving nifedipine (p=0.026). Mean urinary output before and after delivery was greater in the nifedipine arm of the study. There were no significant differences between the two groups in other variables. In addition, in neither group were there any serious adverse effects in mother or fetus.
                Nifedipine is safe and more effective than hydralazine in controlling blood pressure in severe pre-eclampsia. It has the added advantage of being cheaper and more widely available than the latter and is easily administered. Labetalol (Trandate; Allen & Hanburys), a combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic blocking agent, was compared with the more commonly used peripheral vasodilator, dihydrallazine (Nepresol; Ciba), each administered as an infusion, in the treatment of severe hypertension in 20 primigravidas at greater than or equal to 32 weeks' gestation. With the dosage regimen used in this study there was a tendency towards more effective blood pressure control with dihydrallazine. The pulse rate was unaffected by labetalol therapy and there were no harmful effects on the neonate or fetus directly attributable to either drug. To assess the effects of applying a tight vs. a less tight control of mild chronic essential or gestational non-proteinuric hypertension in pregnancy.
                A randomized trial was conducted in 2006-2007 in the University of Ain Shams, Egypt. Eligible participants (n=125) were randomly assigned to either tight or less tight control of mild chronic (essential) or gestational (non-proteinuric) hypertension. The primary outcome measure was the development of severe hypertension during follow-up. Analysis was by intention-to-treat.
                In the tight target group, adjustment of the dose with an increment of 191 mg yielded a mean dose of methyldopa of 1267+/-406 mg. Both systolic and diastolic BP levels were significantly less than in the tight target group. More women in the less tight group had severe hypertension during follow up (RR 3.167 and 95% CI 1.36-7.37). The rate of antenatal hospitalization was significantly higher in the less tight target group with a relative risk of 2.57 and 95% CI 1.16-5.70. The gestational age at delivery was significantly better in the tight target group. Preterm delivery and birth weight were not significantly different between the study groups.
                Tight control of blood pressure reduces the rate of antenatal hospitalization and does not adversely affect perinatal outcomes in women with mild essential or gestational hypertension. The antihypertensive efficacy of acute treatment with the serotonin receptor antagonist, ketanserin, in women with preeclampsia has been recently documented. The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of chronic ketanserin treatment in a group of 20 hypertensive pregnant women: 10 received daily oral doses of ketanserin (20-80 mg), and 10 were treated with oral alpha-methyldopa (500-2000 mg). This study includes (a) patients with a sustained elevation of systolic blood pressure higher than 159 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure higher than 99 mm Hg at bed rest, and (b) hypertensive patients with systolic blood pressure higher than 140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure higher than 90 mm Hg with superimposed symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, and neurological disturbances. A significant and comparable decrease in blood pressure was noted in both groups, in relation with pretreatment levels; no adverse affects were observed in mother or fetus from the ketanserin and alpha-methyldopa groups. Twentysix women with pregnancy-induced hypertension have been randomly treated with either labetalol or Aldomet. A more satisfactory control of blood pressure was obtained with labetalol with minimal side-effects. After two weeks of treatment with labetalol renal function had significantly improved with a markedly lower incidence of proteinuria. More patients went into spontaneous labour following labetalol than following Aldomet; the Bishop score was also higher in this group. No adverse effects attributable to labetalol were noted in the baby either ante- or post-natally. Sixty peripartum patients with diastolic blood pressures (BP) 110 mmHg or higher were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive repeated intravenous injections of either labetalol (20-80 mg) or hydralazine (5 mg) until the diastolic BP was below 100 mmHg. There were four treatment failures in the labetalol group (N = 40) and none in the hydralazine group (N = 20). Hydralazine lowered mean arterial pressure (MAP) more than did labetalol (33.3 +/- 13.2 versus 25.5 +/- 11.2 mmHg; mean +/- SD), but labetalol had a more rapid effect. There was considerable interpatient variability in the dose of labetalol required to control BP, which could not be predicted by any clinical characteristic before therapy. The duration of action also varied in the labetalol group, with the shortest duration occurring in those patients who required the highest dosage for BP control. No significant fetal or neonatal problems ascribable to drug treatment were noted in the 13 instances in which labetalol was given before delivery. However, fetal distress occurred in two of the six cases involving antenatal hydralazine. We conclude that labetalol appears to be a safe and effective alternative to hydralazine for treating hypertension in the peripartum period, but serious rare side effects have not yet been quantified. The effects of labetalol were compared with those of placebo in a multicentre randomized double-blind and prospective study of 152 patients with mild to moderate, non-proteinuric pregnancy-induced hypertension. Labetalol in a dose of 100 mg three times daily, increasing to 200 mg three times daily where required, significantly reduced maternal mean arterial pressure. There was some reduction in preterm delivery, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and jaundice in the labetalol-treated group. Intrauterine growth retardation and neonatal hypoglycaemia occurred with the same frequency in both groups. There were no perinatal deaths. Labetalol appears to be an effective agent in the management of mild to moderate pregnancy-induced hypertension. The data from this study suggest possible advantages and no apparent disadvantages for the fetus during its use. To evaluate the efficacy of methyldopa in the treatment of mild pre-eclampsia, to prevent its progress and to investigate its effect on the pregnancy outcomes.
                Randomised clinical trial.
                Wad Medani Hospital in the central Sudan.
                Seventy primigravidae with single, alive baby of 28-36 weeks gestational age suffering from true mild pre-eclampsia were enrolled. The patients were randomised in two groups, treatment group who received methyldopa 750-4000 mg/day (n=34) and a control group who received no treatment (n=36). All the (treatment and control) patients were drug followed as in-patients till the delivery, seen with their babies on the days 7, 42 after the delivery.
                The outcomes examined were, rise of the diastolic blood pressure to 110 mm Hg or more, occurrence of imminent eclampsia or the eclampsia, if the maturity could be achieved, occurrence of intrauterine growth retardation, abruptio placentae, mode of delivery, birth weight, placental weight, perinatal death, Apgar score and referral of the babies to the pediatrician.
                Three out of 34 (8.8%) of the treatment group had a rise in the diastolic blood pressure of 110 mm Hg, 18/36 (50%) of the control had a rise in the diastolic blood pressure of 110 mmHg (p < 0.05). Three out of thirty four (8.8%) of the treatment group developed imminent eclampsia, while 10/36 (27.8) of the control group developed imminent eclampsia (p < 0.05). The maturity was achieved in 82.3% and 88.8% of the treatment and the control, respectively (p > 0.05). There were ten (14.2%) perinatal deaths, four of them in the treatment group, while six in the control (p > 0.05). There was no difference regarding birth weight, occurrence of intrauterine growth retardation, placental weight, mode of delivery, Apgar score, referral of the babies to the paediatrician. No patient developed eclampsia or abruptio placenta; there was no maternal death in both groups.
                Methyldopa can prevent the progress of the mild pre-eclampsia to severe pre-eclampsia, without affecting the maturity, birthweight or the neonatal outcomes. There is evidence that aspirin in low doses favourably influences the course and outcome of pregnancy in women at risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension. We conducted a double blind prospective randomized study to investigate the effect of low dose aspirin in preventing pregnancy-induced hypertension. Two hundred and one primigravidae from twenty weeks of pregnancy and above were screened using the roll-over test. Of the 127 women with an increase in blood pressure during the roll-over test, 126 women entered the study and were treated with a daily dose of either aspirin (80 mg) or placebo up to 10 days before the expected date of delivery. Samples of urine were collected for detection of aspirin. The incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension in the aspirin treated group was significantly lower than in the placebo treated group; 3.17% versus 15.9% with a p value of 0.02. It is concluded that low daily doses of aspirin taken from twenty weeks of pregnancy significantly reduce the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, possibly through the correction of an imbalance in levels of thromboxane and prostacyclin. One hundred pregnant women with hypertension (defined as diastolic blood pressure at or above 95 mm Hg) were allocated at random to treatment with methyldopa or oxprenolol and were compared with nonhypertensive controls matched according to parity and gestation at delivery. The patients were also stratified into those entering the study early (before 32 weeks' gestation) and those entering late (after 32 weeks' gestation). Although there were no differences in diastolic blood pressure between the hypertensive groups before or during treatment, in the early entry group the systolic blood pressure at entry of those allocated to oxprenolol was significantly higher than that of those receiving methyldopa; this difference remained throughout the treatment period. Also in the early entry group further increments of drug treatment were required to control blood pressure of patients receiving oxprenolol than in those receiving methyldopa. The eventual fetal outcome for all patients treated with methyldopa was the same as that for those treated with oxprenolol; birth weight, placental weight, head circumference, and Apgar score were not significantly different and there were no stillbirths in either group. Twenty-five patients whose pregnancies were complicated by chronic hypertension were entered in a double-blind study and randomly allocated to treatment with methyldopa (Aldomet) or placebo. Thirteen patients were in the treatment group and 12 in the placebo group. The two groups showed no significant difference in demographic and pretreatment laboratory profiles. Methyldopa-treated patients registering in the first trimester had a significant reduction in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) during the second and third trimesters (P less than 0.025). No significant differences in birth weight (BW), ponderal index (PI) were found when results were corrected for gestational age (GA), race, and sex. The mean GA was significantly prolonged in the methyldopa-treated group by 10.3 days (P less than 0.05). The frequency of superimposed pre-eclampsia was similar in both groups (33.3% vs. 38.4%). However, 75% of the superimposed pre-eclampsia occurred antepartum in the placebo group, while 80% of the methyldopa-treated group developed superimposed pre-eclampsia intrapartum. The results of this small study suggest that the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy may reduce MAP and possibly delay the occurrence of superimposed pre-eclampsia and thus afford a prolongation of the pregnancy. Low-dose aspirin therapy could improve remodelling of maternal spiral arteries during early placentation and prevent subsequent pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders. We investigated whether low-dose aspirin therapy reduces the incidence of hypertensive pregnancy complications in unselected IVF and ICSI patients when medication was started prior to pregnancy.
                A total of 487 patients who underwent IVF/ICSI were randomized to receive 100 mg aspirin (n = 242) or placebo (n = 245) daily, starting on the first day of gonadotrophin stimulation. Pregnant women continued the medication until delivery. A total of 107 patients (52 with aspirin and 55 with placebo) experienced live birth and were included in this follow-up study. The main outcome measure was the incidence of hypertensive pregnancy complications.
                Embryo transfer took place in 227 (94%) women in the aspirin group and in 229 (93%) women in the placebo group. The live birth rate between the aspirin (22.9%) and placebo (24.0%) groups did not differ significantly (P = 0.78). The overall incidence of hypertensive pregnancy complications was 15.4% (8/52) in the aspirin group and 18.2% (10/55) in the placebo group (P = 0.70, 95% confidence interval for the difference of proportions -17 to 11%). There were two cases of severe pre-eclampsia in the aspirin group and three cases in the placebo group.
                In the present study, the incidence of hypertensive pregnancy complications did not differ statistically significantly between low-dose aspirin and placebo groups in unselected IVF/ICSI patients, when medication was started concomitantly with gonadotrophin stimulation and continued until delivery. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov. NCT00683202. Forty-six nulliparous women in third trimester of pregnancy with a raised blood pressure of 30 mm Hg (systolic) or/and 15 mm Hg (diastolic) or both, over baseline values were treated with 75 mg of aspirin per day. The results are compared with another 48 age, height, weight, and gestational period matched nulliparaous women with similar condition for trial selection, who were treated as control. There is considerable more number of cases in the control group than in aspirin treated group showing subsequent rise of BP, appearance of proteinuria, and severe pre-eclamptic toxaemia. The aspirin treated group showed increased mean gestational age at termination 39.4 +/- 2.6 weeks as against 38.2 +/- 3.4, increased foetal weight 2860 +/- 552 g as against 2540 +/- 720 g. No case of neonatal haemorrhagic manifestations or congenital malformations were seen. However not much result is obtained with aspirin therapy in cases with established pregnancy induced hypertension or with proteinuria. Hence it is concluded that aspirin therapy should be given to prevent pregnancy induced hypertension. As predictability of other screening tests are not unequivocal, criterion used in this series for screening may be used.
It remains unclear whether antihypertensive drug therapy for mild to moderate hypertension during pregnancy is worthwhile.
[Note: The 23 citations in the awaiting classification section of the review may alter the conclusions of the review once assessed.]