TRENDS IN PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION IN PREGNANCY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC BETWEEN 2012-2021

Abstract

Objective: Arterial hypertension affects about 5-10% of pregnancies and has detrimental effects on pregnancy outcomes in both the mother and fetus. The aim of this study was to analyze the trends of the prevalence of hypertensive diseases in pregnancy in the Czech Republic during the past decade. Design and method: Nationwide data on all births and abortions in the period 2012-2021 in the Czech Republic were obtained from the National Registry of Reproductive Health (NRRZ) and the National Registry of Reimbursable Health Services (NRHZS). Women who had the diagnosis I10 whithin one year before pregnancy and were prescribed an antihypertensive drug from selected ATC groups (C02, C03, C07, C08, C09) were classified as pre-existing hypertension. Women diagnosed with O13 or I10 during pregnancy and prescribed a drug from selected ATC groups were classified as pregnancy induced hypertension. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the prevalence. Results: There were 105,790 births in 2012 and 108,350 births in 2021. The proportion of women with pre-existing hypertension was almost unchanged between 2012 - 2021, between 0.86 - 0.94%. The overall proportion of women with hypertension in pregnancy and lifebirth delivery was also stationary and oscillated between 5.6% - 5.9% (Table 1). A higher prevalence of hypertension was found in women with deliveries of children with lower gestational age. The number of abortions decreased from 37,897 to 28,547 between 2012 - 2021. The proportion of women with abortion/stillbirth and hypertension detected before pregnancy increased from 1.05% to 1.38% in this period, the overall proportion of women with hypertension in pregnancy terminated by abortion/stillbirth increased from 1.2% to 1.6% (Table 2). For all pregnancies, the prevalence of hypertensive diseases in pregnancy remained relatively unchanged and oscilated between 4.44% - 4.74% (Table 3) during the reporting period. Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertension in pregnancy in the Czech Republic remained almost unchanged in the period 2012 - 2021 and was similarly high as in other Western countries.