Pregnancies Following Egg-Donation Increase Hypertension Risk

Though egg donations may be on the rise, a recent study found that this potential fertility option for women who have trouble conceiving may increase the risk of high blood pressure by up to three times.

"A few other studies have shown results suggesting an increased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension in egg donation patients," said Dr. Hélène Letur from the Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in Paris, in a news release. "However, most of them have small samples and do not adequately control for several important confounders, such women's age, multiple pregnancy, and infertility history. Our aim was to find out whether pregnancies from egg donation are genuinely associated with a higher risk of hypertension and pre-eclampsia than those from treatments using the patient's own eggs. This has growing importance because of the increasing number of egg donations."

For the study, researchers examined data from seven in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers located in France. They matched each egg donation pregnancy to two control routine IVF pregnancies during weeks seven to eight from 2005 to 2011, with 580 pregnancies-217 egg donations and 363 controls.

Researchers then compared the women's hypertension risk and found that many who received egg donations had a three times greater risk of developing high blood pressure. In fact, the risk increased from 5.3 percent to 17.8 percent for women who had conceived via a donation. Even during pregnancy, the risk was heightened, with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, or hypertension during the later trimesters of pregnancy, from 2.8 to 11. 2 percent.

"This study confirms several other reports in the literature with a large sample and matched control group. We would have to conclude from the results that egg donation itself is a risk factor for pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia," said Dr. Letur.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the 30th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) held in Munich, Germany.