Two Blood Proteins May Help Predict Woman's Risk of Developing Preeclampsia: Study Finds
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A simple blood test could help doctors identify women in labor who are at risk for preeclampsia -; a leading cause of maternal death -; and take precautions to prevent it, according to research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2024 annual meeting.
Researchers have determined doctors can predict a woman's risk of developing preeclampsia by calculating the ratio of two blood proteins -; fibrinogen and albumin -; measured in routine blood tests done when women in labor enter the hospital. Fibrinogen is involved in blood clotting and inflammation, while albumin helps maintain fluid balance and carries hormones, vitamins and enzymes throughout the body. Both can be disrupted with preeclampsia -; fibrinogen may be elevated, albumin may be reduced, or both can occur.
There is no universally established normal value for this fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), which can range from 0.05 to 1 or higher. Higher fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio values are often associated with increased inflammation, infection, or serious health conditions, and the higher the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio, the greater the concern. This trend has been consistently seen when the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio is used to evaluate other inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease.
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