Abstract:
BACKGROUND. The association between pre-eclampsia and the subsequent development of metabolic syndrome has not been well
documented in low- and middle-income countries.
OBJECTIVES. To compare the prevalence of metabolic syndrome at 6 weeks after delivery among women with pregnancies complicated by
pre-eclampsia with that in a normotensive, low-risk control group in an urban South African (SA) setting.
METHODS. This was a prospective cohort study at two tertiary-level hospitals and one district-level hospital in Pretoria, SA. Women were
recruited after delivery and were followed up 6 weeks later to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.
RESULTS. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 48/150 women with pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia (32.0%), compared with
33/150 (22.0%) of the control group (p=0.05).
CONCLUSIONS. Women who developed pre-eclampsia during pregnancy had an increased chance of metabolic syndrome being diagnosed
6 weeks after delivery. Guidelines should be developed to identify women with cardiometabolic risk, so that interventions may be
implemented to modify this risk before and after pregnancy.
