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FEBRUARY 06, 2004 -
The Preeclampsia Foundation today issued a statement of cautious optimism about the new study to be published in next week's New England Journal of Medicine, indicating a unique protein marker is sharply elevated five weeks prior to the onset of preeclampsia.
Anne Garrett, Executive Director of the Preeclampsia Foundation, the nation's only patient advocacy organization dedicated to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, said, "The study shows great promise that a definitive diagnostic tool could be developed to identify which pregnant women will develop this potentially life-threatening complication. While we are extremely excited that the cause of preeclampsia may have been discovered, a fact that has eluded medical experts for hundreds of years, we are especially hopeful that this may herald an increase in awareness and research funding for a cure. It is extremely important that science, academia and industry partner their resources to advance a proven therapy. The mortality rate from preeclampsia and related conditions for women and their babies is unacceptable."
About Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting five to eight percent of all pregnancies – over six million births a year – it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by elevated blood pressure, swelling and protein in the urine. If undetected or untreated, it can lead to stroke, kidney failure, liver failure and hemorrhage. It is responsible for 15 percent of all premature births. If the mother experiences seizures, it is called eclampsia. Both conditions can be disabling or fatal to mother and baby
About the Preeclampsia Foundation
The Preeclampsia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2000. Its purpose is to reduce maternal and infant illness and death from preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by supporting innovative research, raising public awareness, and helping women access safe reproductive technology, support and care. More information is available at http://www.preeclampsia.org/ or at (800) 665-9341.
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