Have you or someone you loved experienced preeclampsia during pregnancy? While it is a common condition among pregnant women, it may lead to a chronic condition even after pregnancy. Learn more about the results one study found between preeclampsia and chronic kidney disease (CKD).* 

What is Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a serious and potentially deadly condition in pregnant women. It is characterized by:

• High Blood Pressure
• Swelling of Hands and Feet
• Protein in Urine

Since these symptoms are commonly found in CKD patients, researchers investigated if preeclampsia during pregnancy could lead to long-term kidney dysfunction. 

What Did Researchers Find?

In the study conducted at two centers (in Le Mans, France, and Cagliari, Italy), researchers analyzed 282 pregnancies that experienced preeclampsia. Of those, 19% were newly diagnosed with CKD, which is much higher than the expected prevalence of 3% among other women of childbearing age. Moreover, researchers found those diagnosed with CKD were significantly older than others in the study. 

What Do the Findings Tell Us?

Since this is the first multicenter study of its kind, more research is warranted. However, investigators encourage healthcare providers to have patients receive a nephrology (kidney) work-up when diagnosed with preeclampsia. 

*Charnow, J. A. (2021, August 4). High CKD Prevalence Found in Women After Experiencing Preeclampsia. Renal and Urology News. https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/news/nephrology/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/high-ckd-prevalence-found-in-women-after-experiencing-preeclampsia/

Preeclampsia. (2002, May 27). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/baby/preeclampsia-eclampsia#1