Hypertension in pregnancy

Hypertensive disease complicates roughly 6-8% of pregnancies in the United States and ranks second only to embolism as a cause of maternal mortality; it is directly responsible for 15% of maternal deaths in the United States (1). Maternal hypertension is also an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, secondary to both direct fetal effects and iatrogenic preterm delivery performed for maternal indications. Despite the importance of this condition, its origin remains obscure, and the disease process is ultimately reversed only by delivery.