Abstract

Forearm plethysmography affords a simple noninvasive method of studying dynamic changes in the microcirculation. This technic was used to study the peripheral circulation of normotensive nongravid women and normotensive and untreated hypertensive pregnant women during the third trimester. The variables of forearm blood flow, vascular resistance, venous capacitance, and capillary filtration coefficient were measured in the resting state and during and after exercise. The pregnant women demonstrated an increase in forearm blood flow over the nonpregnant women. As expected, vascular resistance was higher in the hypertensive pregnant-patients than in normotensive pregnant women. The possible predictive value of these findings is discussed.