A new blood test could predict preeclampsia as early as the first trimester.
In a new study, researchers successfully predicted the early-onset subtype of the prenatal condition up to five months before clinical diagnosis. The findings are being presented Monday during the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, in Paris.
Efforts to develop blood tests for preeclampsia, which causes high blood pressure and organ damage in pregnant individuals, are ongoing. The biotechnology company Mirvie is leading the charge, with its second trimester test already on the market. But these new findings suggest an evaluation could be conducted much earlier in pregnancy, thereby allowing clinicians to intervene months in advance and, in extreme cases, avoid fatal complications for both parent and child. Black women in the U.S. are at a higher risk of preeclampsia than their white and Asian counterparts due to biological, social, and cultural factors.
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