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Preeclampsia Raises Risk of Serious Kidney Disease
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 Additionally, the study found that when the baby was born early or had a low birth weight, the mother was more likely to develop ESRD later in life.
Vikse said the increased risk of ESRD may be a result of damage that occurs during a pregnancy with preeclampsia, or it may be that risk factors for both, such as increased body-mass index and elevated blood pressure, may have already been present before the pregnancy and contributed to the preeclampsia and later kidney disease.
The one bright spot in the study was that the overall risk of ESRD is quite low. In an accompanying editorial, authors from Massachusetts General Hospital wrote, "Indeed, the likelihood that chronic renal failure did not develop, even among women with three previous episodes of preeclampsia, was greater than 99 percent."
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But that doesn't mean you should just forget that you've had preeclampsia, advised Provenzano. "It's critical that doctors and patients understand that there is now a linkage between preeclampsia and ESRD. For women who've had preeclampsia, this is a reason to increase your sensitivity to healthy living and not add to your risk. Keep your weight down, avoid smoking, and avoid drinking too much. Also, check for diabetes and blood pressure at least once a year," he recommended.
More information
To learn more about preeclampsia, visit the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 8/20/2008
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SOURCES: Bjorn Vikse, M.D., Ph.D., researcher, University of Bergen, Norway; Robert Provenzano, M.D., chief, nephrology, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit; Aug. 21, 2008, New England Journal of Medicine
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