Monday, May 22 marks World Preeclampsia Day. Preeclampsia is a serious condition primarily characterized by high blood pressure during or after pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy affect 5-10% of all pregnancies worldwide. In the U.S., Black people are 60% more likely to develop preeclampsia than white people while pregnant. If undetected, preeclampsia can lead to complications for both mother and baby and, in the worst cases, can be fatal.

 

Sarosh Rana, MD, MPH, University of Chicago Medicine Section Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is a leading expert on preeclampsia. Her research over the last several years has focused on the use of angiogenic biomarkers for the prediction of preeclampsia-related adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. She was part of the study that led to the recent approval of a biomarker test that can test a pregnant person’s risk of severe preeclampsia. The first-of-its-kind blood test will soon be available in the U.S.  

 

Dr. Rana is available for interviews to discuss this game-changing development in the detection of severe preeclampsia, as well as what pregnant people need to know about preeclampsia, who’s at risk, and treatment options. She can also speak on the steps that UChicago Medicine has taken to reduce morbidity related to preeclampsia and to close the maternal health disparity gap between Black and white patients.