A new study published today in The Lancet, has found that a simple blood test can help make the diagnosis for a common and potentially fatal pregnancy complication.
A new study published today in The Lancet, has found that a simple blood test can help make the diagnosis for a common and potentially fatal pregnancy complication.
The team of scientists from King’s found that by measuring the concentration of placental growth factor (PlGF) in a woman’s blood, doctors were able to diagnose pre-eclampsia on average two days sooner. This was associated with significant improvements in outcomes for women without causing health problems for babies.
Lead author Professor Lucy Chappell, NIHR Research Professor in Obstetrics at King’s said: “For the last hundred years, we have diagnosed pre-eclampsia through measuring blood pressure and checking for protein in a woman’s urine. These are relatively imprecise and often quite subjective.
“We knew that monitoring PlGF was an accurate way to help detect the condition but were unsure whether making this tool available to clinicians would lead to better care for women. Now we know that it does.”
Read more at King's College London
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