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Maternal Androgen and Estrogen Concentrations Are Not Associated with Blood Pressure Changes in Uncomplicated Pregnancies

Divisions of ¹ Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics and ² Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; ³ Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire; ⁴ Department of Public Health, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; and ⁵ Magee Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Requests for reprints: Rebecca Troisi, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892-7246. Phone: 603-653-9024; Fax: 603-653-9093. E-mail: troisir{at}mail.nih.gov

Systolic blood pressure increase between the second and third trimester of pregnancy has been associated with a substantially reduced maternal breast cancer risk, and it has been suggested that elevated androgens mediate the association. Androgen and estrogen concentrations were measured in maternal serum collected in 86 uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies. Overall, there were no consistent or statistically significant patterns of association between the hormones and systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial blood pressure or blood pressure change between trimesters. Results were similar with adjustment for factors related to the hormones. These data are not consistent with the hypothesis that elevated androgen concentrations mediate the observed reduction in maternal breast cancer risk associated with increases in blood pressure over the pregnancy. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(10):2013–5)