The Role of Serum Iron Levels in Diagnosing Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

Objective: The clinical use of serum iron in the assessment of 46 patients of mixed parity with hypertensive pregnancies was compared to other laboratory parameters and the possible relationship between maximum serum iron levels and pregnancy outcome was assessed.Methods: Serum iron concentrations measured in 46 women admitted because of pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders were related to pregnancy outcome and compared to a control group consisting of 128 normotensive women with uncomplicated pregnancies.Results: Serum iron levels were significantly higher and birth weights were significantly lower in patients with established preeclampsia (PE) as compared to patients with gestational hypertension (GH) or normotensive control women.Conclusions: Both serum uric acid as well as serum iron correlate positively with the presence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, however, unlike serum uric acid, serum iron was shown (a) to be significantly different between the GH and the PE groups, and (b) to correlate negatively with birth weight.