Pre-eclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and organ damage — particularly to the kidneys and liver — that can progress to seizures and is life-threatening for mother and baby. It affects about 5% of pregnancies and is a leading cause of preterm birth.
What's actually going on in research
Low-dose aspirin started in the first trimester significantly reduces pre-eclampsia risk in high-risk women, and trials are refining who benefits most and testing combined aspirin-heparin prophylaxis. Fetal growth restriction monitoring and biomarkers including sFlt-1/PlGF ratios are being validated to predict pre-eclampsia weeks before clinical onset. New drugs targeting the angiogenic imbalance (sFlt-1 excess) that causes pre-eclampsia are in early trials.
Aspirin prophylaxis refinement
Low-dose aspirin reduces pre-eclampsia risk by 10–20% in high-risk pregnancies; trials are testing higher doses, timing of initiation, and combined approaches with heparin.
Biomarker-guided prediction
sFlt-1 and PlGF blood tests predict pre-eclampsia up to 4 weeks before diagnosis. Trials are testing whether biomarker-guided monitoring and intervention reduce maternal and neonatal complications.
Anti-angiogenic therapy
Apheresis to remove excess sFlt-1 and drugs that block its production are in early trials to extend pregnancy safely in pre-eclampsia cases developing far before term.
What to know before you search
Eligibility requires either high-risk status (prior pre-eclampsia, chronic hypertension, kidney disease) for prevention trials, or confirmed pre-eclampsia diagnosis for treatment trials.
What types of trials are currently open
- Prevention trials — Testing aspirin, heparin, calcium, and other agents to prevent pre-eclampsia in high-risk pregnancies.
- Biomarker trials — Validating blood and urine tests for early pre-eclampsia prediction and risk stratification.
- Treatment trials — Evaluating antihypertensive drugs, magnesium sulfate, and corticosteroids to manage established pre-eclampsia.
- Intervention trials — Testing therapeutic apheresis and experimental drugs for sFlt-1 reduction in severe early pre-eclampsia.
- Long-term outcomes studies — Tracking maternal cardiovascular and renal health after pre-eclampsia.
Recently added Pre-eclampsia trials
Cardiometabolic Disease and Substrate Metabolism
This study's primary purpose is to determine the potential relationship between cardiometabolic disease, specifically insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and maternal lipid oxidation.
Preeclampsia: Origin, Characteristics and Effects on Mother and Baby
Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy complication characterized by new-onset hypertension and signs of maternal organ dysfunction, often accompanied by placental abnormalities and systemic endothelial dysfunction. PE is associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes and confers an increased long-term risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease for both mother and offspring. This prospective observational cohort study aims to establish a longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort of women diagnosed with preeclampsia. Pregnant women with a clinical diagnosis of PE according to current obstetric guidelines will be recruited at their initial presentation either in the in- or outpatient clinic or in the delivery ward, respectively and followed through late pregnancy, delivery, and early postpartum. Participants will undergo study visits during pregnancy, sample collection at delivery, and a postpartum visit 8-12 weeks after birth. Clinical data, physical measurements, questionnaire-based information, and biological samples will be collected from mothers and infants to enable comprehensive phenotyping of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. Data and biosamples from this cohort will be used for descriptive and hypothesis-driven analyses and may be compared with data from an existing longitudinal cohort of healthy pregnancies to support interpretation of preeclampsia-associated biological and clinical changes.
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