Preeclampsia is a hypertension that pregnant women suffer and that it carries some risks for both the mother and the baby if it is not diagnosed in time and treated properly.
The specific causes of this problem are still unknown, although there are several possibilities and it is still being studied to learn more in depth.
A study of these characteristics is the one that has determined 2 molecular deficiencies associated with the development of hypertension during pregnancy. That is, a decrease in the levels of 2 molecules of the body of the pregnant woman could be associated with the development of preeclampsia.
The study has been carried out by researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston (United States), and has been published in the journal Nature. The conclusions are important, because they would assume that in the future Preeclampsia could be diagnosed with a blood or urine test early, with the advantages that this entails when starting treatment as soon as possible.
Specifically, the deficient levels correspond to an enzyme called catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and a natural metabolite produced by it, 2-methoxystradiol. The authors suggest that 2-methoxystradiol supplements could improve or possibly prevent preeclampsia, which if confirmed would lead to progress in the treatment of the disease.
These supplements would be added to the benefits provided by vitamin D, chocolate or aspirin to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Hopefully the investigations continue advancing in the knowledge of the disease and these possible ways of treatment and prevention are confirmed.
