Mirzakhani H, et al. - The association of history of physician-diagnosed asthma and uncontrolled asthma status during pregnancy with the risk of preeclampsia was examined, as well as, the effects of early pregnancy vitamin D concentrations on this relationship were investigated. An association between uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy and an increased risk of preeclampsia was outlined, and results revealed the contribution of early pregnancy 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) to this association.

Methods

• Researchers examined 816 subjects with available pregnancy outcome data and risk factors of interest.
• The preeclampsia diagnoses had been validated by a group of experienced obstetricians and gynecologists from 3 study centers.
• By using the DiaSorin method at 10 to 18 weeks of gestation, vitamin D was measured.
• They evaluated asthma control during pregnancy by using the Pregnancy-Asthma Control Test.
• In order to investigate the relationships of risk factors of interest (history of asthma diagnosis, uncontrolled asthma during pregnancy, and vitamin D) to preeclampsia, criterion-based stepwise variable selection algorithm was applied.

Results

• No relation was found between the incidence of preeclampsia and the presence of asthma diagnosis (8.9% with vs 7.4% without).
• This study unveiled higher adjusted odds of preeclampsia controlled for maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations for women with a higher proportion of uncontrolled asthma months per visit during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 3.55; 95% CI, 1.15-13.0).
• Adjusting for asthma control status during pregnancy, as compared with the previous risk estimate of preeclampsia associated with low maternal 25OHD unadjusted for asthma control status, an additional decrease in the associated preeclampsia risk by 7% was observed for a 10-unit (ng/mL) increase in early pregnancy 25OHD levels (adjusted odds ratio10-unit, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43-0.82).