Skip to content

Sign in Start free

Create your free account

Loading your page…

We care for the people who care.

No ads. No selling of your data. No third-party trackers.

Apps

Prognia
Ward
Suture
Osler

Library

Guidelines
Medicines
Articles
Calculators
Explore decks
Blog

Prognia

About
Pricing
Contact

Support us

Founders Wall

© 2026 Prognia · Amsterdam, the NetherlandsPrivacy TermsExchangeRate-API

Guidelines
Cardiology

CHS 1997

Canadian Hypertension Society

Report of the Canadian Hypertension Society Consensus Conference: 3. Pharmacologic treatment of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

1997NationalCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne

Canada

Read the PDF Original at the sourceAsk Osler about this guideline

On this page

Read the guideline
Abstract
Source and rights

Read the guideline

Full guideline, as published156 KBOpen in a new tab Download

Abstract

To provide Canadian physicians with evidence-based guidelines for the pharmacologic treatment of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

No medication, or treatment with antihypertensive or anticonvulsant drugs.

Prevention of maternal complications, and prevention of perinatal complications and death.

More in cardiology

HRS position statement: Changing the tide in CPR and AED education for students in the United StatesHeart Rhythm Society · 2026Added 30 Jul 2026PodcastInfographic
Summary of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Consensus Conference on Graft Dysfunction within the First 72 hours after Heart Transplantation: A 10-year UpdateThe International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) [1, 2] · 2026Added 26 Jul 2026PodcastInfographic

Ask a question about this guideline.

Osler answers from this library and names the guideline behind every claim.

Pertinent articles published from 1962 to September 1996 retrieved from the Pregnancy and Childbirth Module of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and from MEDLINE; additional articles retrieved through a manual search of bibliographies; and expert opinion. Recommendations were graded according to levels of evidence.

Maternal and fetal well-being were equally valued, with the belief that treatment side effects should be minimized.

Reduction in the rate of adverse perinatal outcomes, including death. Potential side effects of antihypertensive drugs include placental hypoperfusion, intrauterine growth retardation and long-term effects on the infant.

A systolic blood pressure greater than 169 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure greater than 109 mm Hg in a pregnant woman should be considered an emergency and pharmacologic treatment with hydralazine, labetalol or nifedipine started. Otherwise, the thresholds at which to start antihypertensive treatment are a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg in women with gestational hypertension without proteinuria or pre-existing hypertension before 28 weeks' gestation, those with gestational hypertension and proteinuria or symptoms at any time during the pregnancy, those with pre-existing hypertension and underlying conditions or target-organ damage, and those with pre-existing hypertension and superimposed gestational hypertension. The thresholds in other circumstances are a systolic pressure of 150 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure of 95 mm Hg. For nonsevere hypertension, methyldopa is the first-line drug; labetalol, pindolol, oxprenolol and nifedipine are second-line drugs. Fetal distress attributed to placental hypoperfusion is rare, and long-term effects on the infant are unknown. Magnesium sulfate is recommended for the prevention and treatment of seizures.

The guidelines are more precise but compatible with those from the US and Australia.

Source and rights

Published by CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 1997. The PDF is shown as published and remains the work of its authors and publisher; the original is at the source linked here. Rights holders can ask us to remove a file at info@prognia.nl.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1228354/

Prognia summarises this guideline for reference and education. It is not medical advice. Always check the official guideline and current local protocols before acting on it.

At a glance

Organisation: Canadian Hypertension Society
Published: 1997
Applies to: 🇨🇦 Canada
Scope: National
Journal: CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
PubMed: 9361646
PubMed Central: PMC1228354
Added to Prognia: 24 July 2026

2026 AHA/ACC/ADA/ASN Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAmerican College of Cardiology · 2026Added 23 Jul 2026PDF

ESC guidelines on dyslipidemia update 2025 : New recommendations for the practiceEuropean Society of Cardiology · 2026Added 30 Jul 2026

AHA 2026Importance of Fostering International Collaboration for Optimal Outcomes of Kawasaki Disease Worldwide: A Science Advisory From the American Heart AssociationAmerican Heart Association · 2026Added 23 Jul 2026PDF

ACC 2026Optimization of Postpartum Care for Patients With and at Risk for Premature and Long-Term Cardiovascular Disease: 2026 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight CommitteeAmerican College of Cardiology · 2026Added 23 Jul 2026PDF

Concomitant LAA Closure during Cardiac Surgery-Update 2025The Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon · 2026Added 18 Jul 2026PDF

PRIME 2.0: Proposed Requirements for Cardiovascular Imaging-Related Multimodal-AI Evaluation: An Updated ChecklistJACC. Cardiovascular imaging · 2026Added 18 Jul 2026PDF

HRS/ACC scientific statement: Guiding principles on the performance of intracardiac ablation procedures in ambulatory surgical centersHeart rhythm · 2026Added 18 Jul 2026PDF

HRS 2026Occupational hazards in cardiac electrophysiology: Insights from an HRS member surveyHeart Rhythm Society · 2026Added 18 Jul 2026PDF

SIIA 2026Management of Patients with Arterial Hypertension in Italy: A Consensus Document of the Italian Society of Hypertension (SIIA) and the Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention (SIPREC) About the Recommended Care Pathway and Areas for ImprovementItalian Society of Hypertension (SIIA) and the Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention (SIPREC) · 2026Added 18 Jul 2026PDF

CCS 2026The Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Heart Rhythm Society Comprehensive Guidelines for the Selection, Implantation, and Management of Patients With Cardiac Implantable Electronic DevicesCanadian Cardiovascular Society · 2026Added 18 Jul 2026PDF