The Role of Obesity in Hypertensive Disorders Development During Pregnancy; A Comparative Analysis

Hina Zahra; Bushra Khan; Sumera Malik; Sajilah Karim; Tahreem Rasheed; Ayesha Khakwani

Hina Zahra Senior Registrar, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Bakhtawar Amin Hospital, Multan
Bushra Khan Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Bakhtawar Amin Hospital, Multan
Sumera Malik Demonstrator, CMH Institute of Medical Sciences, Multan
Sajilah Karim Senior Registrar, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Nishtar Hospital, Multan
Tahreem Rasheed Senior Registrar, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Bakhtawar Amin Hospital, Multan
Ayesha Khakwani Final Year Student, Nishtar Medical University, Multan

Abstract

Objective: To determine the association of maternal obesity and pregnancy induced hypertension in a tertiary care hospital, South Punjab.

Methodology: A comparative cohort study was carried out in obstetrics and gynecology department, of Nisthar Hospital Multan, Feb 2021 to Aug 2021. Pregnant women aged 18-45 years, gestational age from 9 to 40 weeks, singleton pregnancy and who have been diagnosed with or are at risk for hypertensive disorders during their pregnancy were included. Obesity was defined as (BMI > 30 kg/m²). The development of hypertensive diseases, such as gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia, were documented using medical records and routine measurements of blood pressure during antenatal visits. All the information was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26.

Results: overall mean age of the women was 28.33±2.41 years and mean gestational age was 31.20+2.44 weeks. According to the data, 37.9% of obese women developed pregnancy induced hypertension, compared to only 9.7% of non-obese women, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.001. Incidence of pregnancy induced hypertension was statistically insignificant basis on age and parity (p->0.05).

Conclusion: Based on study observations, obese women are at a substantially higher risk of developing Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension compared to their non-obese counterparts, with nearly four times the incidence rate observed in the obese group.