Endothelial function in pregnant women with chronic hypertension and abdominal obesity

Objective. To evaluate endothelial function in pregnant women with chronic hypertension and abdominal obesity.Material and Methods. We studied 30 pregnant women with chronic hypertension and abdominal obesity (group I), 28 pregnant women with chronic hypertension and normal body mass index (group IIa), 27 pregnant women with abdominal obesity without chronic hypertension (group IIb), and 33 pregnant women without chronic hypertension and abdominal obesity (control group). We performed reactive hyperemia tests, assessed the serum levels of endothelin-1 and homocysteine, and analyzed the outcomes of pregnancy and delivery.Results. The values of endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDVD) in pregnant women of groups I, IIa, and IIb were comparable and were 6.7 (3.2-9.1)%, 7.0 (3.9-11.4)%, and 7.2 (4.4-10.8)%, respectively. Significant differences were found in EDVD values between the groups mentioned above and the control group, where the EDVD value was 12.5 (10.5-13.9)%, p