Objective: To determine the body composition of women with the diagnoses of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia.
Methods: Cross-sectional study, including four groups of patients who were in the third trimester: those with an uncomplicated pregnancy (n = 110), those with a diagnosis of gestational hypertension (n = 38), those with mild preeclampsia (n = 8), and those with severe preeclampsia (n = 11). Their fat mass, fat-free mass, and total body water were estimated by bioelectric impedance.
Results: The fat mass was 20 +/- 7 kg in the control group and 26 +/- 13 kg in the group with gestational hypertension (p < 0.05). The total body water was 36 +/- 6 L in the control group, 50 +/- 10 L in the patients with gestational hypertension, 52 +/- 10 L in those with mild preeclampsia, and 48 +/- 9 L in those with severe preeclampsia (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The results suggest that maternal body composition shows significant differences in patients with hypertensive complications during pregnancy. These data may be related to a possible inadequate distribution of the volume of water as a result of alterations in capillary permeability.