The obesity epidemic is on the rise throughout the USA and the world. Not only does it affect the general population but it also specifically poses unique threats to a woman’s life in the antepartum, peripartum and postpartum periods. An increased BMI is associated with worse perinatal outcomes, including higher rates of preeclampsia (and other hypertensive disorders), macrosomia, other neonatal morbidities and gestational diabetes. Isolated maternal obesity and additional maternal diabetes predispose the infant to potential adult disease through fetal programming. This review of the literature examines the effects of obesity on a woman’s life, outlining complications beginning with preconception through the postpartum period.

In this cohort of women with preeclampsia and severe features before delivery, NSAIDs were not associated with increased rates of persistent postpartum hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether torsemide reduces the rate of persistent postpartum hypertension in women with preeclampsia. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of women with preeclampsia at a tertiary center from August 2016 to September 2017. Those with gestational hypertension or renal or cardiopulmonary failure were excluded. Within 24 hours of delivery, women were randomized one to one to oral torsemide, 20 mg/d, or placebo, for 5 days. Our primary outcome was blood pressure greater than or equal to 150 mm Hg systolic or 100 mm Hg diastolic (or both) on two occasions at least 4 hours apart by postpartum day 5 or by the time of hospital discharge. Assuming a 50% rate of persistent hypertension in women with preeclampsia, 118 participants were required to detect a 50% rate reduction. Analyses were by intention to treat. RESULTS: From August 2016 to September 2017, 118 women were randomized: 59 were allocated to torsemide and 59 to placebo. Overall, 43 (73%) women in the torsemide and 45 (76%) in the placebo group had either preeclampsia with severe features or preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension. The rate of persistent postpartum hypertension was 44% in the torsemide and 58% in the placebo group (relative risk 0.76, 95% CI 0.5–1.1). No differences were seen in rate of hypertension 7–10 days or 6 weeks postpartum, severe hypertension, length of postpartum hospital stay, readmission for hypertension, or adverse events. There were no cases of severe composite morbidity or deaths. CONCLUSION: In this trial of women with preeclampsia, a 5-day course of postpartum torsemide did not have a significant effect on the rate of postpartum hypertension. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02813551.