The George Washington University Biostatistics Center
This is a phase-III multi-center open-label randomized clinical trial of 4,120 individuals between 23 weeks, 0 days and 35 weeks, 6 days gestation with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia without severe features randomized to antihypertensive medication to a target blood pressure (BP) of \<140/90 mmHg or to no treatment for non-severe hypertension \< 160/110 mmHg (usual care). The primary endpoint is an adverse pregnancy composite comprised of preeclampsia with end-organ damage, medically indicated preterm delivery \<37 weeks 0 days gestation, fetal/neonatal/infant death, or placental abruption.
All women with a diagnosis of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia without severe features at an Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU) Center outpatient or inpatient setting who are less than 36 weeks and 0 days of gestation will be screened for eligibility and approached for enrollment by the MFMU Research Team. Women who meet study eligibility and want to participate will provide written informed consent. Study participants will be randomized 1:1 to: 1. intervention: antihypertensive medication to achieve a target blood pressure (BP) lower than 140/90 mmHg or 2. usual care: defin…
INCLUSION CRITERIA: * Singleton or di-chorionic twin gestation. * Gestational age at randomization from 23 weeks 0 days through 35 weeks 6 days based on clinical information and evaluation of the earliest ultrasound * Diagnosis of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia without severe features within 10 days prior to randomization. * Gestational hypertension or preeclampsia is defined as new onset systolic blood pressure 140-159 or diastolic blood pressure 90-109 (or both) on two occasions at least four hours apart on or after 20 weeks 0 days gestation with normal end-organ labs, with or…
Antihypertensive medication titrated to a BP goal of \< 140/90 mmHg initiated on labetalol or nifedipine ER following standard dosing guidelines. For first line treatment with labetalol, 200 mg twice daily will be initiated and escalated to a BP goal of \<140/90 mmHg to a maximum dose of 2,400 mg/day (1,200 mg twice daily or 800 mg three times daily). If a maximum daily dose of 2,400 mg or maximal tolerated dose of labetalol is reached without achieving goal BP \<140/90 mmHg, or at provider discretion, nifedipine ER can be added as a second agent and titrated as per the nifedipine ER algorithm outlined below. For first line treatment with nifedipine ER, dosing will be initiated at 30 mg daily and escalated to a goal BP \<140/90 mmHg to a maximum dose of 120 mg/day (120 mg daily or 60 mg twice daily). If the maximum daily dose or maximal tolerated dose of nifedipine ER is reached without achieving goal BP \<140/90, or at provider discretion, labetalol can be added as described above.
Usual care will not receive anti-hypertensive medication upon randomization. Participants will only be prescribed antihypertensive medication if their BP increases to ≥160/110 mmHg and titrated to a BP goal of \<160/110 mmHg. They will receive IV and/or oral anti-hypertensive medication as per local institutional protocols for management of severe range BP.