Research highlights strong demand for data on personalised risk of preeclampsia

New research has highlighted significant demand for predictive testing for pregnancy complications like preeclampsia.

The study, published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, has found that objective information about the risk of preeclampsia could be key to driving patient behaviour change and creates motivation among pregnant women to follow provider recommendations on prevention.

The research showed that 91 per cent of the study participants desired predictive testing for preeclampsia and 94 per cent reported they would want blood pressure monitoring at home if found to be at high risk.

Additionally, it found that 88 per cent of participants reported they would be more motivated to follow their provider’s medication recommendations if at high risk. This finding was consistent even for individuals who were hesitant to take medication at baseline.

Preeclampsia, a condition that manifests as high blood pressure which impacts eight per cent of pregnancies, is often silent until symptoms develop and requires emergency intervention, including the need for preterm delivery.

Currently, there is no way to predict who is most at-risk for developing complications like preeclampsia early in pregnancy. Women who experience preeclampsia during pregnancy are at increased risk for heart disease, stroke and premature death, and children who are born preterm are at increased risk for numerous challenges across their lifespan.

While there are medications like baby aspirin that have been shown to lower the risk of preeclampsia for high-risk individuals, reluctance to take aspirin remains a barrier.

“Evidence from other medical fields suggests that when patients know their personalised risk, they act on that information,” said Dr Alison Cowan, head of medical affairs at Mirvie and lead author of the study.

“This study translates insights from cardiology and personalised information on risk of heart disease to obstetrics for the first time. Patients are telling us that if they had objective testing to predict their risk of preeclampsia, it would meaningfully change the way they manage their pregnancies.”

While the present study focuses on the hypothetical availability of an objective test to predict preeclampsia, such testing for preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications could soon be available.

“Mirvie’s RNA platform focuses on the prediction of pregnancy complications, which is at the leading edge of what’s possible – addressing a huge unmet need in maternal health,” said Cowan.

“Being able to predict who is at highest risk of pregnancy complications presents a massive opportunity for patients to do everything possible to prevent preeclampsia.

“For physicians, it’s an important reminder that the toolbox isn’t empty when working with patients on prevention, especially if we can objectively identify who is at highest risk early in the pregnancy,” she added.