Pregnancy hypertension marker found.Pregnancy hypertension marker found Abnormally low levels of a specific compound in the urineearly in pregnancy may precede the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension--and thus serve as a possible marker for the rise in high blood pressure seen in 7 to 10 percent of pregnancies that can threaten the life of both mother and fetus. So say scientists at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, who suggest that therapy as simple as the use of aspirin may help prevent the condition in women who are at risk. Pregnancy-induced hypertension pregnancy-induced hypertension A term that encompasses isolated–nonproteinuric HTN, pre-eclampsia or proteinuric HTN, eclampsia; PIH occurs in 5-15% of pregnancies, and is a major cause of obstetric and perinatal M&M Management Low-dose aspirin occurs most frequently in first-time teenage mothers. During a normal pregnancy, levels of a hormone-like substancecalled prostacyclin prostacyclin /pros·ta·cy·clin/ (pros?tah-si´klin) a prostaglandin, PGI2, synthesized by endothelial cells lining the cardiovascular system; it is a potent vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation. are increased. Because prostacyclin dilates blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. and inhibits platelet aggregation, it is thought to help keep blood pressure at safe levels during pregnancy. The Nashville group previously found that the elevation of prostacyclin is accompanied by an increase in its metabolite metabolite, organic compound that is a starting material in, an intermediate in, or an end product of metabolism. Starting materials are substances, usually small and of simple structure, absorbed by the organism as food. , 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F1 , in the urine of pregnant women. However, in a recent study of 67 high-risk teenage patients,the scientists discovered that the 12 women who later developed hypertension had only a twofold to threefold increase in excretion over their nonpregnant levels, compared with an eightfold eightfold Adjective 1. having eight times as many or as much 2. composed of eight parts Adverb by eight times as many or as much Adj. 1. increase in women with normal blood pressure and a sevenfold sevenfold Adjective 1. having seven times as many or as much 2. composed of seven parts Adverb by seven times as many or as much Adj. 1. increase in those with chronic hypertension. The difference was apparent at fewer than 20 weeks gestation; pregnancy-induced hypertension usually appears after 22 to 24 weeks of gestation, disappearing after birth. The study, which was reported in the May CIRCULATION,suggests that the determination of urinary 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F1 concentrations be used to alert physicians to a pregnant patient who may develop high blood pressure. |
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