RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Studies of cardiovascular function in pregnancy have shown inconsistent and, in some cases, contradictory results, particularly regarding cardiac output. While some studies report preeclampsia associated with high cardiac output, other studies suggest that preeclampsia should be further subdivided into women with high or low cardiac output. This study was conducted to examine the NT-proBNP levels in preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and hypertensive pregnancies without preeclampsia. We also examined N-terminal pro-B natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels three to four months after delivery, in preeclamptic women as well as the prediction of delivery within 10 days. In a reduced number of preeclamptic women and controls we performed echocardiograms to study their diastolic function. METHODS: We investigated the NT-proBNP levels in 213 subjects with preeclampsia only, 73 with intrauterine growth restriction, 44 with preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction, 211 who were hypertensive and 662 unaffected pregnancies (controls). We also performed echocardiograms on 36 preeclampsia and 19 controls before delivery and three to five months after delivery. RESULTS: NT-proBNP levels are higher in early onset preeclampsia than in late onset preeclampsia. Intrauterine growth restriction pregnancies showed a NT-proBNP levels similar to hypertensive and unaffected pregnancies. Compared with healthy pregnancies, women with preterm preeclampsia (<37 gestational weeks) had altered left atrial segments. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that NT-proBNP levels are higher in early onset preeclampsia than in late onset. Moreover, diastolic dysfunction is higher in early onset than in late-onset term preeclampsia. An NT-proBNP value >136 pg/mL has a high positive predictive value for an imminent delivery within 10 days.