THE USE OF URINARY ALBUMIN-CREATININE RATIOS AND CALCIUM-CREATININE RATIOS AS SCREENING-TESTS FOR PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION

Objective: To assess the potential of both urinary albumin-creatinine ratios and urinary calcium-creatinine ratios as screening tests for pregnancy-induced hypertension. Methods: A prospective, non-interventional study was performed in a teaching hospital antenatal clinic. Five hundred nonnotensive, nulliparous pregnant women provided a urine sample at 19 weeks' gestation. The main outcome measurements were the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia. Results: No significant differences in urinary albumin/ creatinine and calcium/creatinine were demonstrated between patients who developed pregnancy-induced hypertension and those who remained normotensive. Urinary creatinine concentrations were significantly higher at 19 weeks' gestation in patients who subsequently developed pregnancy-induced hypertension. Conclusions: This study suggests that neither urinary ratio is a potential screening test for pregnancy-induced hypertension. The increased urinary creatinine concentration in patients who subsequently developed pregnancy/induced hypertension has not previously been reported and merits further investigation.