Current methods are poor at predicting which women will develop preeclampsia and how the
disease will progress, leading to costly and stressful in-hospital monitoring and anxiety when the disease is suspected.
The test for preeclampsia reliably predicts or rules out a pregnant woman's short-term risk of developing the disease and so identifies women who need special care, providing better outcomes
for mothers and babies and helping to reduce pregnancy healthcare costs.2
Roche has launched an innovative blood test that allows doctors to predict which pregnant women are at highest risk of developing preeclampsia, one of the leading causes of death and complications for mothers and their unborn babies.1,2 Identifying women who are at risk means that close monitoring can be stepped up to protect the health and safety of both mother and baby. Furthermore, the test identifies women who are unlikely to develop the disease in the short–term, so saving them from the stress of monitoring and the disruption to their home life caused by a stay in hospital and removing at the same time, the cost of unnecessary care.
Preeclampsia generally develops during the third trimester and affects about one in 20 pregnancies and accounts for more than4 out of every 10 maternal deaths each year around the world.1 It is a leading cause of preterm birth and consequent ill-health or death of newborns. If preeclampsia remains unattended, the mother can go into convulsions, a coma and can even die.3 The cause of the disease is not fully understood, but when it develops, the flow of blood through the placenta is reduced which means the baby does not get enough oxygen or nourishment to grow properly.4,5 Preeclampsia is a disease that doesn't necessarily have early signs and gets worse over time. It cannot be treated; it can only be resolved by delivering the baby.
"Knowing which women are at risk of developing preeclampsia through using the simple blood test is a big step forward. Roche's preeclampsia test helps doctors predict whether a woman will likely have preeclampsia within the four weeks after the test is performed, enabling them to make timely decisions about monitoring and intervention, ultimately minimizing the danger to both mother and baby," said Dr. Stefan Verlohren, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Foetal Medicine Specialist at the Charite University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Preeclampsia will be suspected if after 20 weeks of pregnancy a woman develops high blood pressure (blood pressure ≥ 140 / 90 mmHg measured twice at least 4 hours apart) and has protein in her urine (≥ 300 mg / 24 h).1 However, these measurements are poor at predicting which women will develop preeclampsia and how the disease will progress. As a consequence, many women with signs and symptoms of the disease are unnecessarily admitted to hospital for intensive observation and monitoring, resulting in unnecessary worry for the woman and her family, and additional costs to the health provider. An estimated 8.5 million women are affected by preeclampsia every year,6 which corresponds to approximately 120 billion USD annual cost worldwide.
"At Roche Diagnostics, our vision is to deliver the power of knowing* which will enable proactive disease management and better patient care," said Mr Pichetpong Srisuwankul, Managing Director, Roche Diagnostics (Thailand) Ltd "Our test for preeclampsia is just the latest example of our vision in action."