Effect of age, parity, and race on the incidence of pregnancy associated hypertension and eclampsia in the United States

Robert A Gold; Kellyanne R Gold; Mark F Schilling; Tamara Modilevsky

doi:10.1016/j.preghy.2013.10.001

Effect of age, parity, and race on the incidence of pregnancy associated hypertension and eclampsia in the United States

Pregnancy Hypertens. 2014 Jan;4(1):46-53. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2013.10.001. Epub 2013 Oct 30.

Authors

Robert A Gold¹, Kellyanne R Gold², Mark F Schilling³, Tamara Modilevsky⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, 14445 Olive View Drive, Sylmar, CA 91342, USA. Electronic address: robertgold87@yahoo.com.
² Department of Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, 14445 Olive View Drive, Sylmar, CA 91342, USA. Electronic address: kellyannerosegold@gmail.com.
³ Department of Mathematics, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330, USA. Electronic address: mark.schilling@csun.edu.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, 14445 Olive View Drive, Sylmar, CA 91342, USA. Electronic address: tmmd44@aol.com.

PMID: 26104254
DOI: 10.1016/j.preghy.2013.10.001

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the incidence of pregnancy associated hypertension and eclampsia from adolescence through the fifth decade of life, including the effect of parity and race, in the United States.

Methods: Data were evaluated from the National Center for Health Statistics (vital statistics section). The data were stratified by maternal age group, parity (G1, first pregnancy; G2+, second or higher pregnancy), and racial group.

Results: The incidence of pregnancy associated hypertension (PAH) decreased with increased age in late adolescence in the G2+ group but not the G1 group (total and all racial groups). The incidence of PAH was significantly greater for non-Hispanic black or non-Hispanic white than Hispanic groups for all age groups (P⩽.02) except age ⩽15years (G2+ group) and 45-54years (both G1 and G2+ groups). The incidence of eclampsia decreased with increased age in late adolescence in the G2+ group (total and all racial groups) and the G1 group (total and non-Hispanic black groups). The incidence of eclampsia was significantly greater for non-Hispanic black than non-Hispanic white and for non-Hispanic white than Hispanic groups for all age groups except age ⩽15years in the G2+ group. The incidence of PAH and eclampsia increased substantially in both G1 and G2+ groups in the fifth decade of life (total and all racial groups).

Conclusions: The incidence of PAH (G2+ group) and eclampsia (G1 and G2+ groups) decreased with increased age during adolescence and increased in the fifth decade (G1 and G2+ groups).

Keywords: Complications; Epidemiology; Obstetrics; Preeclampsia.