Inspiratory flow limitation during sleep in pre-eclampsia: comparison withnormal pregnant and nonpregnant women

Self-reported snoring is common in pregnancy, particularly in females with pre-eclampsia. The prevalence of inspiratory flow limitation during sleep i n preeclamptic females was objectively assessed and compared with normal pr egnant and nonpregnant females. Fifteen females with pre-eclampsia were compared to 15 females from each of the three trimesters of pregnancy, as well as to 15 matched nonpregnant co ntrol females (total study population, 75 subjects). All subjects had overn ight monitoring of respiration, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure (BP). No group had evidence of a clinically significant sleep apnoea syndrome, bu t patients with pre-eclampsia spent substantially more time (31 +/-8.4%, of sleep period time, mean SD) with evidence of inspiratory flow limitation c ompared to 15.5 +/-2.3% in third trimester subjects and <5% in the other th ree groups (p=0.001). In the majority of preeclamptics, the pattern of flow limitation was of prolonged episodes lasting several minutes without assoc iated oxygen desaturation. As expected, systolic and diastolic BPs were sig nificantly higher in the pre-eclamptic group (p<0.001), but all groups show ed a significant fall (p less than or equal to0.05) in BP during sleep. Ins piratory flow limitation is common during sleep in patients with pre-eclamp sia, which may have implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of t his disorder.