Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria observed after the 20th week of gestation. It affects 5-8% of U.S. pregnancies, is a precursor for potentially fatal eclampsia, and is a leading global cause of maternal and infant morbidity. The incidence of pre-eclampsia has increased by nearly one-third over the past decade and hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are now responsible for at least 76,000 U.S. deaths each year. The cause of pre-eclampsia and its rising incidence remain uncertain. However, several lines of evidence suggest that sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) could play a role. SDB is common, most often undiagnosed - especially in women - and treatable. Snoring, the hallmark symptom of SDB, is more frequent during pregnancy. Increased weight promotes SDB, and significant weight gain or other physiological changes during pregnancy also may exacerbate SDB. SDB has been associated with elimination or reversal of normal nocturnal dips in blood pressure (BP), similar to BP patterns observed in pre-eclampsia. Of note, SDB is a known independent risk factor for hypertension in non-pregnant adults but it is unknown if SDB in pregnant women contributes to pre-eclampsia. Treatment of SDB with CPAP has been shown to ameliorate nocturnal BP increases in hypertensive patients with SDB, but not in hypertensive patients without SDB. No study has determined whether SDB does in fact increase nocturnal BP during pregnancy and whether SDB promotes pre-eclampsia remains unproven. Therefore, the main goals of this research are to identify whether SDB - as measured by overnight polysomnography - is associated with pre-eclampsia, to confirm that use of auto-titrating positive airway pressure (auto-PAP) can improve nocturnal BP, and to determine whether any such effect depends on the presence of underlying SDB. Moreover, we will show that such improvement in nocturnal BP will be associated with improved maternal daytime BP and improved fetal outcome, as measured by more days in utero and fewer admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Public Health Relevance

This novel research will show that treatment of sleep-disordered breathing in women with pre-eclampsia - a serious complication of pregnancy - will reduce maternal blood pressure which will, in turn, result in improved health for mothers and babies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23HL095739-04
Application #
8214567
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHL1-CSR-R (F1))
Program Officer
Scott, Jane
Project Start
2009-06-01
Project End
2014-01-31
Budget Start
2012-02-01
Budget End
2013-01-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$117,008
Indirect Cost
$8,667
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Dunietz, Galit Levi; Shedden, Kerby; Lisabeth, Lynda D et al. (2018) Maternal Weight, Snoring, and Hypertension: Potential Pathways of Associations. Am J Hypertens 31:1133-1138
Dunietz, Galit Levi; Shedden, Kerby; Schisterman, Enrique F et al. (2018) Associations of snoring frequency and intensity in pregnancy with time-to-delivery. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 32:504-511
Kneitel, Anna W; Treadwell, Marjorie C; O'Brien, Louise M (2018) Effects of maternal obstructive sleep apnea on fetal growth: a case-control study. J Perinatol 38:982-988
Malish, Sterling; Arastu, Fatema; O'Brien, Louise M (2016) A Preliminary Study of New Parents, Sleep Disruption, and Driving: A Population at Risk? Matern Child Health J 20:290-7
Moraleda-Cibrián, Marta; Edwards, Sean P; Kasten, Steven J et al. (2015) Obstructive sleep apnea pretreatment and posttreatment in symptomatic children with congenital craniofacial malformations. J Clin Sleep Med 11:37-43
Nisbet, Lauren C; Phillips, Nicole N; Hoban, Timothy F et al. (2015) Characterization of a sleep architectural phenotype in children with Down syndrome. Sleep Breath 19:1065-71
O'Brien, L M; Bullough, A S; Chames, M C et al. (2014) Hypertension, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnoea during pregnancy: a cohort study. BJOG 121:1685-93
Moraleda-Cibrián, Marta; O'Brien, Louise M (2014) Sleep duration and body mass index in children and adolescents with and without obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Breath 18:555-61
O'Brien, Louise M; Warland, Jane (2014) Typical sleep positions in pregnant women. Early Hum Dev 90:315-7
Dunietz, Galit Levi; Chervin, Ronald David; O'Brien, Louise Margaret (2014) Sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy: future implications for cardiovascular health. Obstet Gynecol Surv 69:164-76

Showing the most recent 10 out of 18 publications