Signs and Symptoms of Preeclampsia
Seek medical assistance if you have any one of these symptoms.
- Edema — swelling in the legs, arms, and face
- Right upper quadrant or shoulder pain — usually a sharp pain on the right side of your abdomen
- Nausea or vomiting
- Reduced urine output
- Proteinuria — protein in the urine
- Hypertension
- Vision changes — floaters or spots, blurry vision
- Persistent and severe headache — not responsive to aspirin or other medication
- Weight gain — sudden increase in weight
- Shortness of breath
Diet and Preeclampsia Risk
A study conducted by investigators at the University of Southern California (MADRES) published in March 2024 evaluated whether 2 previously defined dietary patterns (1) solid fats, refined grains, and cheese or (2) vegetables, oils, and fruit impacted the risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). They also evaluated whether pre-pregnancy body mass index altered the relationship between diet and HDP. The diet containing solid fats, refined grains, and cheese was associated with an almost 4-fold increased risk of developing HDP. In contrast, the diet containing vegetables/oil/fruit resulting in a a 68% reduction in HDP risk. Women who were overweight prior to pregnancy demonstrated a stronger dietary impact on HDP risk.
Study finds risk of cardiovascular disease in children born of preeclamptic pregnancies
A recent study, published in 2003, combined the results of 16 studies with a total of 4,046 preeclampsia cases and 31,505 controls, found an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes in the children of preeclamptic mothers compared to the controls. Specifically, they found that systolic blood pressure (SBP) was higher among the offspring of preeclamptic mothers (50% higher). Total cholesterol was also elevated, however, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was not altered in preeclampsia-exposed children compared to controls. Triglycerides, insulin, and glucose in exposed children indicated a depletion of relative to the non-exposed children. BMI was also higher in preeclampsia-exposed children. All of these factors are associated with the development of cardiovascular disease.
Citation: Wang W, Lin R, Yang L, Wang Y, Mao B, Xu X, Yu J. Meta-Analysis of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Offspring of Preeclampsia Pregnancies. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Feb 20;13(4):812. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13040812. PMID: 36832300; PMCID: PMC9955836.
Recurrence of Preeclampsia in Subsequent Pregnancies
A recent study investigated recurrence risks for preeclampsia (PE) following a PE-affected pregnancy. They studied 391,645 women with first and second births between 2006 and 2017.
They found that women who experienced PE in their first pregnancy had a recurrence rate of 21.5%. Preterm PE occurred in 5.5% of subsequent pregnancies.
After considering maternal factors, women with PE in their first pregnancy had more than 14 times the risk in a second pregnancy. For women who had both PE and continuing hypertension, the odds of PE in the second pregnancy was more than 26 times the risk of developing preterm PE.