Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that affects around 10% of pregnant women, raising the risk of hypertension, stroke, premature delivery, and maternal deaths. Researchers have found that a simple routine blood test done on women entering labor can predict their risk of preeclampsia.

At the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2024 annual meeting, researchers unveiled a groundbreaking study revealing that a simple blood work ratio can predict a woman's risk of developing preeclampsia as she enters the hospital in labor. However, preeclampsia can develop as early as 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The study discovered that the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) serves as a valuable predictor for preeclampsia risk. Fibrinogen is vital for blood clotting and inflammation, whereas albumin is key to maintaining fluid balance and transporting hormones, vitamins, and enzymes throughout the body.

In the case of preeclampsia, these proteins can become disrupted: fibrinogen levels may increase while albumin levels decrease, or both changes can happen at the same time. By analyzing the levels of these two blood proteins, researchers found that women with a higher FAR were significantly more likely to develop preeclampsia compared to those with a lower ratio.

It's known that FAR could be an indicator of an increased risk of inflammation, infection, or serious health conditions. Hence, the ratio has been used to predict rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease.

The study analyzed data from 2,629 participants who gave birth between 2018 and 2024. Among them, 1,819 women did not experience preeclampsia. The cohort also included 584 patients with mild preeclampsia symptoms, characterized by blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 mm Hg but without significant signs of organ damage. Additionally, 226 participants exhibited severe preeclampsia symptoms, marked by blood pressure of 160/110 mm Hg or higher, along with indications of organ damage.

The analysis revealed a clear correlation between FAR and preeclampsia risk. Patients with a FAR of at least 0.1 upon hospital admission faced a 24% risk of developing preeclampsia, which significantly increased to over 41% for those with a FAR exceeding 0.3.

The researchers suggest that along with a higher FAR, other factors such as age of more than 35 or having chronic high blood pressure or obesity should be considered as high-risk factors for preeclampsia.

"While FAR has been associated with other inflammatory conditions, its specific application to preeclampsia and preeclampsia with severe symptoms has not been reported in a group this large and racially diverse.

Our study shows that FAR can be a predictive tool that gives anesthesiologists and obstetricians a new method for assessing a laboring mom's risk of developing preeclampsia when they are admitted to the hospital," said Lucy Shang, lead author of the study.

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