Endothelial Activation and Stress Index in Different Types of Hypertensive Pregnancy Disorders

Background Endothelial dysfunction is a major contributor to the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and can be quantified by the simple formula, lactate dehydrogenase×creatinine/thrombocytes, termed the Endothelial Activation and Stress Index (EASIX). We evaluated EASIX in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and its value in the assessment of preeclampsia. Methods This retrospective study included 465 patients with preeclampsia, 197 with chronic or gestational hypertension, and 894 controls who delivered at Heidelberg University Hospital between 2017 and 2022. Propensity score matching was used to balance confounding variables. A total of 3732 EASIX values were available for the analysis. Results The mean age was 31.8±5.6 years (preeclampsia), 32.9±5.3 years (hypertension), and 31.7±5.8 years (controls). EASIX was significantly higher in patients with preeclampsia as compared with patients with hypertension (0.94±0.58 versus 0.60±0.28, P