Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous complication facing pregnant women, but new research suggests an experimental test may be able to get ahead of the illness. Researchers at Kings College London say they’ve developed a new test that can predict which women will have the condition. Their findings were published Nov. 4 in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation. “The test is designed to differentiate women with preeclampsia from those with high blood pressure alone,” study author Dr. Lucy Chappell, a clinical senior lecturer in obstetrics at King’s College, said in a press release. “Current tests for the condition only detect that it’s happening, rather than predicting it, and by that time the disease has progressed and has likely already caused organ damage. Preeclampsia is a severe form of high blood pressure marked by excess protein in the urine. It affects about 8 to 10 percent of pregnant women in the U.S., according to the AHA. Symptoms that seem to occur with preeclampsia include persistent headaches, abdominal pain and blurred vision or light sensitivity. Click here to read more and view video
Tag: Preeclampsia Research Studies
Preeclampsia Foundation News
Educational Conference Brought Controversies to the Forefront Preeclampsia is a complex disorder that often confounds even the most skilled clinicians, and there are very few postgraduate courses offered on this subject. One of the missions of the Preeclampsia Foundation is to fill this gap by facilitating healthcare provider education on the subject with the aim of improving health care practices. Almost every year since the inception of Saving Grace, the Foundation has sponsored a major continuing medical education event for healthcare providers in that region. Click to read more… (www.preeclampsia.org) Also check out: The Preeclampsia Registry (www.preeclampsiaregistry.org) The Preeclampsia Registry is a “Living Database” bringing together those affected, their family members, and researchers to advance knowledge and discover preventions and treatments for preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Preeclampsia Foundation Facebook Page © Preeclampsia Foundation 2013 | www.preeclampsia.org
Preeclampsia Foundation News
2013 Vision Grant Recipients to Study the Underlying Mechanisms of Preeclampsia $25,000 research grants will be presented to two preeclampsia research studies Melbourne, FL – September 12, 2013 – The Preeclampsia Foundation announced today that Ana Sofia Teixeira de Cerdeira, MD of the Harvard Medical School and Mandy Bell, PhD, RN of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing are recipients of its 2013 Vision Grants. Vision Grants are awarded to the strongest scientific proposals recommended by the Foundation’s scientific review committee with a further review by a consumer advisory board. The Foundation’s Board of Directors renders the final decision based on those recommendations. Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and fetal pregnancy related disease and death worldwide. Both recipients have the goal of better understanding the underlying mechanisms of the disease and translating their research findings to clinical application. Study #1 is working on the immune mechanisms (NK cells and Tregs) of regulation of placentation in health and preeclampsia. Study #2 is designed to clarify the role that soluble endoglin (sENG) plays in preeclampsia by investigating if differences in the genetic code of the endoglin gene and related genes account for increased sENG in women with preeclampsia. Click…Continue reading Preeclampsia Foundation News