The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved a groundbreaking blood test developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, based in Massachusetts, that can identify pregnant women at risk of developing preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy complication with vague symptoms and no known cure, which may have played a role in the death of Olympian track star Tori Bowie earlier this year. This innovative blood test has a 96 percent success rate in predicting which pregnant women with symptoms of preeclampsia will develop the condition within two weeks.
Dr. Doug Woelkers, a professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of California, San Diego, described the blood test as revolutionary and a significant step forward in preeclampsia diagnostics. This test marks the first major advancement in the field since the condition was first defined in 1900.
The blood test works by measuring the levels of two specific proteins in the blood. A study conducted on over 1,000 pregnant women with hypertensive disorders found that those with imbalanced protein levels had a 65 percent chance of developing severe preeclampsia and delivering their baby within two weeks. Women who test negative are advised to repeat the test every two weeks.
Preeclampsia typically emerges around the halfway point of pregnancy and is characterized by high blood pressure and elevated protein levels in the urine, indicating kidney damage. Symptoms may not always be apparent, but they can include decreased platelet count, severe headaches, vision changes, shortness of breath, pain below the ribs, and nausea or vomiting.
Swelling and sudden weight gain, especially in the arms and face, can also be signs of preeclampsia. Risk factors for the condition include carrying multiple babies, chronic high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, obesity, and being over 35 years old. Unfortunately, there is no cure for preeclampsia other than delivery of the baby, which often leads to premature birth.
Preeclampsia affects approximately one in 25 pregnancies and claims the lives of over 70,000 women worldwide each year. Alarmingly, the condition has increased by 25 percent in the United States over the past two decades. Black women are particularly vulnerable, being 60 percent more likely to develop preeclampsia compared to white women.
If left untreated, preeclampsia can progress to eclampsia, a more severe form of the complication that can cause seizures, coma, and death. Autopsy findings suggest that eclampsia may have been a factor in Tori Bowie’s untimely demise. She was at least seven or eight months pregnant at the time of her death.
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