Prevalence and risk factors associated with hypertensive gestational syndromes in the Paranhana valley: cross-sectional and case-control studies

Hypertensive Gestational Syndromes (HGS) are a significant cause of maternal mortality, underscoring the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of the conditions and characteristics associated with their development. To assess the prevalence of HGS and its associated risk factors. Cross-sectional and case-control studies were carried out in Taquara, RS, Brazil. Data were retrieved from 500 medical records of a reference philanthropic hospital in obstetrics, in Vale do Paranhana, Rio Grande do Sul, from 2017 to 2022. The logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the associations between risk factors and HGS as maternal age, BMI, diabetes, and previous cardiovascular comorbidities. The results were expressed as odds ratios (OR). The prevalence study included 260 pregnant women, of whom 63 (24.2%) had HGS, 35 (13.5%) had diabetes mellitus (DM) and 95 (36.5%) were overweight or obese. In the case-control study, 100 women from each group were evaluated with the following associations: maternal age (p = 0.003; OR = 2.6), previous hospitalization (p = 0.047; OR = 0.2), previous cardiovascular comorbidades (p < 0.001; OR = 11.2) and previous DM (p = 0.038; OR = 4.0). The observed prevalence of HGS was consistent with that of other Brazilian regions. The maternal age of over 30 years, DM and previous cardiovascular comorbidities have been identified as risk factors for the development of HGS.