Shabnam Shamim Asim, Humaira Naeem.
Pregnancy with obesity - a risk factor for PIH.
J Liaquat Uni Med Health Sci Jan ;9(3):125-9.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) between obese and non-obese women. STUDY DESIGN: Comparative study PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Antenatal Clinic and Obstetrics Ward of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi from 1st January 2008 to 30th June 2008. METHOD: A total of two hundred gravid women were selected by non-probability purposive sampling. Inclusion criteria were pregnant women with singleton pregnancy and gestational age from 24 to 40 weeks. Two groups were formed having hundred women each. Group A formed of non-obese (B.M.I<30) and group B of obese (B.M.I>30). Blood pressure was recorded with mercury sphygmomanometer and woman having diastolic pressure of >90-mmHg or systolic pressure of >140-mmHg, two readings 4 hours apart were diagnosed as PIH. Frequency and percentage were computed for categorical variables like age groups, gravida, family history, patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Chi-Square test was used to compare proportion of patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension between obese and non-obese women. Mean with standard deviation, 95% confidence interval of mean were also computed for quantitative variables like age, parity, gestational age, height, weight, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure by applying t-test to compare mean difference between obese and non-obese. RESULTS: The frequency of PIH was found to be higher in obese women as compared to non-obese patients. The overall PIH was 67 out of 200 (33.5%). PIH was present in 41% of obese women and in 26% of non-obese women. P-value=0.025 indicate that pregnancy induced hypertension was two times more likely in obese women than non-obese women (OR= 1.98, 95% CI= 1.09 to 3.59). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that frequency of PIH is higher in patients belonging to group B who were obese.

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