Can platelet volume predict progressive hypertensive disease in pregnancy?
Increase in platelet size has been found in conditions with increased platelet destruction and use. This increase in platelet size can be found in patients with moderate or severe hypertension in pregnancy, even in the presence of a normal platelet count. The goal of this study was to investigate whether an increase in platelet size was present before the manifestation of the disease and therefore could be used to predict the progression of the disease before it is clinically apparent. Three hundred normal primigravid pregnancies were studied between 28 and 30 weeks’ gestation, and blood was taken to assess platelet count and mean platelet volume. Two hundred sixteen patients had no hypertensive problems during their pregnancy, 84 developed hypertension, 62 had mild hypertension only with diastolic blood pressures between 90 and 99 mm Hg, 13 had moderate hypertension with diastolic blood pressures between 100 and 109, and nine had severe hypertension with diastolic blood pressure above
