RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of preeclampsia in a population with respect to maternal and sister histories of chronic hypertension, preeclampsia and eclampsia. DESIGN: A case-control study of severe preeclampsia. SETTING: Maternity hospital in Natal, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 412 subjects were enrolled, 148 cases and 264 controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Personal and familial histories of hypertensive disorders. Odds ratio estimates of preeclampsia with respect to family history of hypertensive diseases. RESULTS: Women with a history of hypertensive disorders were more frequent in the case group (p = 0.001). Women whose mothers had a history of hypertension (p = 0.003), preeclampsia (p = 0.007) or eclampsia (p = 0.038) were at increased risk of severe preeclampsia. The risk of preeclampsia was greater when the woman had a sister with a history of hypertension (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.60-4.21, p < 0.001), preeclampsia (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.58-3.45, p < 0.001), or eclampsia (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.28-5.16, p = 0.008). The risk of preeclampsia was also higher for women who had both a mother and sister with a history of hypertension (OR 3.65, 95% CI 1.65-8.09, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A family history of hypertensive disorders increased the risk of eclampsia and hemolysis elevated liver enzymes and low platelet (HELLP) syndrome in a Brazilian population.