PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D. Yinon
AU  - L. Lowenstein
AU  - S. Suraya
AU  - R. Beloosesky
AU  - O. Zmora
AU  - A. Malhotra
AU  - G. Pillar
TI  - Pre-eclampsia is associated with sleep-disordered breathing and endothelial dysfunction
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.06.00010905
DP  - 2006 Feb 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 328--333
VI  - 27
IP  - 2
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/27/2/328.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/27/2/328.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2006 Feb 01; 27
AB  - Pre-eclamptic toxaemia (PET) may be associated with both endothelial dysfunction (ED) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). It was hypothesised that females with PET would demonstrate both SDB and ED, and that a correlation between these two would suggest a potential causative association. A total of 17 females with PET and 25 matched females with uncomplicated pregnancy were studied. They underwent a nocturnal ambulatory sleep study (using Watch_PAT100) and noninvasive evaluation of endothelial function utilising the reactive hyperaemia test (using Endo_PAT 2000). A higher ratio of post- to pre-occlusion pulse-wave amplitude (endothelial function index (EFI)) indicated better endothelial function. Females with PET had a significantly higher respiratory disturbance index (RDI) and lower EFI than controls (18.4±8.4 versus 8.3±1.3·h−1, and 1.5±0.1 versus 1.8±0.1, respectively). Blood pressure significantly correlated with RDI and with EFI. EFI tended to correlate with RDI. In conclusion, these results suggest that both sleep-disordered breathing and endothelial dysfunction are more likely to occur in females with pre-eclamptic toxaemia than in females with uncomplicated pregnancies. The current authors speculate that respiratory disturbances contribute to the functional abnormality of the blood vessels seen in females with pre-eclamptic toxaemia, although causality cannot be determined based on this study.