Abdominal fat thickness predicts the risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension: A prospective cohort study.
X, D., C, X., C, W., X, C., H, F., Z, D., & G, L. (2026). Abdominal fat thickness predicts the risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension: A prospective cohort study.. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.202608_35(4).0016
X D, C X, C W, X C, H F, Z D, et al. Abdominal fat thickness predicts the risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension: A prospective cohort study.. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. 2026; doi: 10.6133/apjcn.202608_35(4).0016
X D, C X, C W, et al. Abdominal fat thickness predicts the risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension: A prospective cohort study.[J]. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition. 2026. DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.202608_35(4).0016.
@article{x2026,
author = {Ding X and Xiang C and Wei C and Chen X and Fa H and Du Z and Li G},
title = {Abdominal fat thickness predicts the risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension: A prospective cohort study.},
journal = {Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.6133/apjcn.202608_35(4).0016},
note = {PMID: 42521236},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Ding X AU - Xiang C AU - Wei C AU - Chen X AU - Fa H AU - Du Z AU - Li G TI - Abdominal fat thickness predicts the risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension: A prospective cohort study. T2 - Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition PY - 2026 DO - 10.6133/apjcn.202608_35(4).0016 AN - PMID:42521236 ER -
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy-associated hypertension (PAH) is a prevalent complication during pregnancy. Maternal obesity is a known risk factor for PAH. As nutrition is a key modifiable driver of obesity and metabolic health, this study aimed to evaluate whether early-pregnancy abdominal fat thickness and nutrient intake are associated with the development of PAH. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cohort study was conducted including pregnant women during 9 to 13+6 weeks of gestation. The abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured by ultrasound. Daily intake of key nutrients was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. The primary outcome was development of PAH, encompassing gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia. RESULTS: A total of 1912 pregnant women were recruited in this study. The overall incidence of PAH was 7.1% (136/1912). High VAT was associated with a higher PAH incidence than normal VAT (11.2% vs. 4.5%). Independent of BMI, high SAT (≥17.05 mm; adjusted odds ratios (aOR): 2.74, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.89-3.96) and high VAT (≥28.85 mm; aOR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.67-3.50) significantly increased risk of PAH. Comparatively, obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) was associated with an aOR of 7.04 (95% CI: 3.94-12.6) for PAH, while the aOR for overweight was 3.16 (95% CI: 2.11-4.71). A predictive model incorporating these adiposity indicators demonstrated an area under the ROC curve of 0.745 (95%CI: 0.703-0.788). In contrast, no significant associations were observed between daily nutrient intake and PAH risk. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort study, both early-pregnancy SAT and VAT are significant predictors of PAH independent of BMI. The developed predictive model facilitates the early identification of high-risk women, enabling timely interventions to reduce adverse perinatal outcomes.