Antihypertensive drug prescription pattern before and during pregnancy in France

Veronique Duhalde; Caroline Delarue; Isabelle Lacroix; Carole Suarez; Robert Bourrel; Jean-Louis Montastruc; Christine Damase-Michel

doi:10.1016/j.preghy.2011.01.001

Antihypertensive drug prescription pattern before and during pregnancy in France

Pregnancy Hypertens. 2011 Apr;1(2):185-9. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2011.01.001. Epub 2011 Feb 1.

Authors

Veronique Duhalde¹, Caroline Delarue¹, Isabelle Lacroix¹, Carole Suarez², Robert Bourrel², Jean-Louis Montastruc¹, Christine Damase-Michel¹

Affiliations

¹ Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, Unité de Pharmacoépidémiologie, EA 3696, Université de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine, 37 allées Jules-Guesde, 31000 Toulouse, France.
² Caisse Régionale d'Assurance Maladie de Midi-Pyrénées, 31065 Toulouse Cedex 9, France.

PMID: 26104501
DOI: 10.1016/j.preghy.2011.01.001

Abstract

Objective: This study provides firsthand information on antihypertensive prescriptions before and during pregnancy in France.

Methods: The study, on 23,898 women, was carried out using data from the French Health Insurance System.

Results: Before and during pregnancy, 1.1% and 5.1% of women received prescriptions for antihypertensive drugs: beta blockers and diuretics before, and nifedipine, nicardipine, labetalol and methyldopa during pregnancy. Sixty-six pregnant women were exposed to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists.

Conclusion: Pregnant women still receive prescriptions for harmful drugs. In order to prevent such exposures, it should be recommended to avoid these prescriptions in women of child-bearing age who plan to be pregnant.