New-onset hypertension (which includes preeclampsia and
gestational hypertension) is a common and morbid complication
of pregnancy. Many features of the insulin resistance
syndrome have been associated with this condition. These
include hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance,
obesity, and lipid abnormalities. Other accompanying abnormalities
may include elevated levels of leptin, TNF, tissue
plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1,
and testosterone. The documentation of these features before
the onset of hypertension in pregnancy suggests that insulin
resistance or associated abnormalities may have a role in this
disorder. Furthermore, the recognition that features of the
insulin resistance syndrome persist many years after pregnancy
among women with this condition raises the possibility
that these women may have increased risk for future cardiovascular
disease. These observations suggest that interventions
to reduce insulin resistance may reduce the risk of both
hypertension in pregnancy and later life cardiovascular complications,
and warrant further study. (J Clin Endocrinol