Preeclampsia Tied to Later Risk for Chronic Kidney Disease

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Pregnant women who develop preeclampsia face increased risk for later chronic kidney disorders, a study in The BMJ suggests.

Using Danish health registries, researchers studied over one million women without prior kidney or cardiovascular disease who gave birth between 1978 and 2015. Nearly 4% were diagnosed with preeclampsia.

During an average 19 years' follow-up, 0.4% of the women developed chronic kidney disorders (e.g., chronic kidney disease, hypertensive kidney disease) more than 3 months after delivery. After multivariable adjustment, women who'd had preeclampsia had more than double the risk for chronic kidney disorders. The risk increase was particularly high for women who also delivered preterm, and for kidney disorders diagnosed within the first 5 years after pregnancy.

The researchers conclude that their findings "suggest that at least a subset of women with previous preeclampsia need clinical monitoring for kidney disease in the years immediately after pregnancy." They note, however, that it remains to be determined which women are at highest risk.