Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy characterised by hypertension and kidney damage. Mayo Clinic researchers found that girls with a history of severe preeclampsia have more markers linked to brain cell damage and inflammation, in comparison with women who had uncomplicated pregnancies. The findings are being presented on the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in San Diego.

Preeclampsia affects as much as 15% of girls. Left untreated, preeclampsia can result in serious, even fatal, complications for mother and baby. Even after pregnancy, preeclampsia could cause long-term damage to a lady’s kidneys, heart and brain.

Preeclampsia also has been related to elevated risks of heart disease, stroke and cognitive decline, in addition to smaller brain volumes, later in life. Nevertheless, no reliable early markers can be found to find out which women are in danger.

On this study, researchers explored whether extracellular vesicles -; small fluid-filled particles -; of brain cell membranes circulating within the blood may very well be present in women years after their affected pregnancies.

Using health record data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a cohort of 40 women -; 33 with a history of mild preeclampsia and 7 with severe preeclampsia -; were matched to 40 women who had uncomplicated pregnancies. In comparison with the control group, women with a history of severe preeclampsia had a significantly higher concentration of extracellular vesicles that were positive for amyloid beta, which is a toxic brain protein believed to be an integral part of Alzheimer’s disease.

The presence of amyloid indicates brain cell damage and inflammation. The researchers found that levels of amyloid circulating within the blood also were increased.

These markers of brain cell damage and inflammation within the blood of girls with a history of preeclampsia may result in recent diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to enhance women’s cognitive health over their lifetimes. Further validation will likely be needed to find out the role of those markers in predicting cognitive decline.”

Vesna Garovic, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic nephrologist and senior creator of the study

The researchers also observed that higher levels of those markers were related to lower volumes of total gray matter of the brain, which is essential for cognitive and mental functions.

“The science of identification of circulating extracellular vesicles within the blood is rapidly evolving for a lot of diseases,” says Sonja Suvakov, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic postdoctoral research fellow in nephrology and first creator of the study. “These vesicles facilitate intercellular transport and communication. In some diseases, production of extracellular vesicles increases, together with a change of their content, which is why they’re ceaselessly viewed as markers of cell damage. Future research is required to find out their importance within the context of cognitive decline related to a history of preeclampsia throughout a lady’s life.”

For girls who’re pregnant, Dr. Garovic advises being aware of preeclampsia signs and symptoms:

• Attend prenatal visits so your health care skilled can monitor your blood pressure.
• Look ahead to sudden weight gain and swelling. While each are typical during healthy pregnancies, sudden weight gain or swelling, particularly within the face and hands, could also be an indication of preeclampsia.
• Contact your health care skilled immediately or go to an emergency department if you will have severe headaches, visual disturbances, severe belly pain or severe shortness of breath. Because some aches and pains are common pregnancy complaints, it might be difficult to acknowledge a major problem. In case you’re concerned about your symptoms, contact your health care skilled.

For those with a history of preeclampsia, it is vital to share that information with their health care skilled. “We encourage women to debate their reproductive history with their primary care providers,” Dr. Garovic says. “The understanding of girls’s future health risks related to their reproductive history is continually advancing.”