Preeclampsia Poses a Significant Long-term Health Risk
Preeclampsia Poses a Significant Long-term Health Risk
September 6, 2012
Medical Research, Press Releases
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, September 6, 2012 — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have determined that preeclampsia is a significant risk factor for long-term health issues, such as chronic hypertension and hospitalizations later in life. The findings from the retrospective cohort study were just published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine.
Thousands of women and their babies die or get very sick from preeclampsia; it affects approximately 5 to 8 percent of all pregnancies. It is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine, typically occurring after 20 weeks gestation and up to six weeks postpartum.
According to the study, the BGU researchers found patients with preeclampsia had significantly higher rates of chronic hypertension diagnosed after pregnancy. Patients with preeclampsia were also more likely to be hospitalized at least once. Exposed women had .28 hospitalization per patient rate, while the non-exposed patients had a lower .23 hospitalization per patient rate.
The study included women who gave birth between the years of 1988 to 1998, and had a follow-up until December 2009. It assessed 2,072 patients with mild or severe preeclampsia in one or more of their pregnancies, while the comparison group of 20,742 patients did not have preeclampsia. The study was conducted to evaluate long-term morbidity of patients with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. Patients with chronic hypertension and pre-gestational diabetes before the pregnancy were excluded.
The researchers, all from BGU’s Faculty of Health Sciences, include Guy Shalom, Prof. Ilana Shoham-Vardi, Ruslan Sergienko, Prof. Arnon Wiznitzer, Michael Sherf, and Prof. Eyal Sheiner.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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