Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Adelwoehrer, K.
Assessment of vascular function changes in women with high risk of preeclampsia
Humanmedizin; [ Diplomarbeit ] Medizinische Universitaet Graz; 2021. pp. 55
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- Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz:
- Betreuer*innen:
- Cervar-Zivkovic Mila
- Goswami Nandu
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- Background: Preeclampsia is a severe medical condition that affects about 2% to 8% of pregnancies worldwide. It is characterized by a pathological process within the mother´s vascular system which causes symptoms like hypertension and proteinuria. Cigarette smoking is known to have many adverse effects on the cardiovascular system too. Quite controversially, it seems to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Though many different theories for this rather conflicting relation exist, the exact mechanisms are still a subject of debate. Furthermore, it is still unclear whether women who smoked before pregnancy but then stopped also have a reduced risk of developing preeclampsia and how this affects vascular adaptations in pregnancy. Aims and objectives: This diploma thesis aims to assess vascular function changes in women with a high risk of preeclampsia. Possible differences between women who used to smoke before pregnancy and non-smoking women would suggest an influence of the women´s smoking habits on vascular function changes during pregnancy. Methodology: For this purpose, the pulse wave velocity, a marker for vascular function, was investigated at three points in time during pregnancy. The measurements were performed as part of a large prospective study carried out at the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical University of Graz. Data from 31 women with a high risk of preeclampsia were gathered and analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between non-smoking women and women who used to smoke before pregnancy. However, the women who used to smoke before pregnancy had on average lower values for the pulse wave velocity than the non-smoking women at the measurements in the first and second trimester of pregnancy. Conclusion: The results might suggest a positive influence of cigarette smoking before pregnancy on vascular function in women with a high risk of preeclampsia. Moreover, it was discovered that vascular function changes in the participants of our study in general differed from observations made in healthy pregnancies. As all women included had an estimated high risk of preeclampsia, this might be an indication of a pathological process within their vascular systems.