Changes in ophthalmic artery Doppler during acute blood‐pressure control in hypertensive pregnant women

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo examine the changes in ophthalmic artery Doppler indices and their association with changes in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, following acute antihypertensive treatment in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy presenting with high blood pressure.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study of 31 pregnant women presenting at 30 + 0 to 39 + 6 weeks' gestation for management of their hypertension. Paired maternal blood‐pressure and ophthalmic‐artery‐Doppler measurements were performed prior to and at 30 min and 60 min after starting antihypertensive medication. In patients who did not achieve blood‐pressure control (i.e. when blood pressure was < 140/90 mmHg) by 60 min, paired readings were continued up to 120 min. If blood‐pressure control was still not achieved at that point, patients were admitted to hospital. Univariate linear regression was performed to determine the association of ophthalmic artery peak systolic velocity (PSV) ratio with SBP, DBP and MAP before treatment and after blood‐pressure control. The longitudinal changes in MAP, SBP, DBP and PSV ratio from pretreatment to 30 min and 60 min after commencement of antihypertensives were examined by repeated measure, multilevel, linear mixed‐effects analysis.ResultsAntihypertensive treatment was associated with a decrease in SBP, DBP, MAP and PSV ratio. At 60 min following antihypertensive treatment, the decrease in SBP, DBP, MAP and PSV ratio was 12.1 mmHg (95% CI, 9.0–15.1 mmHg; P < 0.0001), 9.1 mmHg (95% CI, 6.5–11.5 mmHg; P < 0.0001), 10.0 mmHg (95% CI, 7.6–12.4 mmHg; P < 0.0001) and 0.07 (95% CI, 0.03–0.11 mmHg; P < 0.001), respectively. From the total cohort, 20 (64.5%) women had achieved blood‐pressure control at 60 min and another seven (22.6%) by 120 min from commencement of antihypertensive treatment. Four (12.9%) women did not achieve blood‐pressure control during this period and were admitted to hospital. The relationship between PSV ratio and SBP, DBP and MAP was assessed before treatment (n = 31) and at the point of blood‐pressure control in women in whom this was achieved by 120 min (n = 27). Prior to treatment, there was a significant association between PSV ratio and MAP (P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.39). This was primarily due to the association of PSV ratio with DBP (P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.39) and less so due to its association with SBP (P = 0.02, R2 = 0.16). At the point of achieving blood‐pressure control, there was no significant association between PSV ratio and MAP (P = 0.7), DBP (P = 0.5) or SBP (P = 0.7).ConclusionsAcute blood‐pressure control in pregnancy is associated with a concomitant reduction in blood pressure and ophthalmic artery PSV ratio. In hypertensive pregnant women, there is a significant association of PSV ratio with MAP, SBP and DBP, which disappears after blood pressure is reduced to < 140/90 mmHg following antihypertensive treatment. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.