RT Book, Section A1 Rogers, Vanessa L. A1 Roberts, Scott W. A2 Papadakis, Maxine A. A2 McPhee, Stephen J. A2 Rabow, Michael W. SR Print(0) ID 1175805553 T1 Chronic Hypertension in Pregnancy T2 Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2021 YR 2021 FD 2021 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781260469868 LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1175805553 RD 2023/02/08 AB Chronic hypertension is estimated to complicate up to 5% of pregnancies. To establish this diagnosis, hypertension should antedate the pregnancy or be evident before 20 weeks’ gestation to differentiate it from pregnancy-related hypertension. This distinction can be problematic when the initial presentation is after 20 weeks, but chronic hypertension is confirmed if the blood pressure remains elevated beyond 12 weeks’ postpartum. Risk factors for chronic hypertension include older maternal age, African-American race, and obesity. While essential hypertension is by far the most common cause, secondary causes should be sought when clinically indicated.