Arterial Stiffness as a Cardiovascular Risk Factor for the Development of Preeclampsia and Pharmacopreventive Options

Arterial Stiffness (AS) describes the rigidity of the arterial walls. Epidemiological studies have shown that increased AS is an independent predictive marker of Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. Preeclampsia (PE), a form of pregnancy-induced hypertension, affects approximately 5% of pregnancies worldwide. Preeclamptic women have a higher risk of CV Disease (CVD), mainly because PE damages the heart’s ability to relax between contractions. Different pharmacological approaches for the prevention of PE have been tested in clinical trials (e.g., aspirin, enoxaparin, metformin, pravastatin, and sildenafil citrate). In current clinical practice, only low-dose aspirin is used for PE pharmacoprevention. However, low-dose aspirin does not prevent term PE, which is the most common form of PE. Compromised vascular integrity precedes the onset of PE and therefore, AS assessment may constitute a promising predictive marker of PE. Several non-invasive techniques have been developed to assess AS. Compared with normotensive pregnancies, both Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (cfPWV) and Augmentation Index (AIx) are increased in PE. In view of simplicity, reliability, and reproducibility, there is an interest in oscillometric AS measurements in pregnancies complicated by PE.