Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy marked by high blood pressure and signs of organ damage, most often affecting the kidneys. It typically develops after 20 weeks and can progress quickly if untreated. The only cure is delivering the baby. For severe or early cases, treatment focuses on managing blood pressure, preventing seizures, and deciding the safest time to deliver.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing drugs that may prevent preeclampsia in high-risk pregnancies, biomarkers that predict which women will develop it weeks before symptoms appear, blood pressure medications safe in pregnancy, and treatments that may extend pregnancy in early-onset cases. Researchers are also studying why preeclampsia raises the mother's long-term risk of heart disease.
Prevention in high-risk pregnancies
Low-dose aspirin has become standard for high-risk women, but it doesn't prevent all cases. Trials are testing whether adding a blood pressure drug, vitamin D, or other agents to aspirin reduces risk further — especially in women with prior preeclampsia, diabetes, or twins.
Early prediction
A blood test measuring a protein called PlGF — often combined with blood pressure and ultrasound — can flag who is at high risk as early as 11 weeks. Trials are testing whether acting on this prediction earlier changes outcomes.
Extending early-onset pregnancies safely
Preeclampsia before 34 weeks creates a painful tradeoff: deliver early to protect the mother or wait to protect the baby. Trials are testing whether specific treatments can safely extend pregnancy, reducing premature birth risk without compromising the mother.
What to know before you search
Eligibility depends on gestational age, whether you have already developed preeclampsia or are at risk, blood pressure levels, prior pregnancy history, and other conditions like diabetes or kidney disease. Prevention trials typically enroll earlier in pregnancy; treatment trials enroll women with an existing diagnosis.
What types of trials are currently open
- Prevention trials — Testing medications, supplements, or monitoring protocols to reduce the chance of developing preeclampsia in women identified as high risk before or early in pregnancy.
- Biomarker and prediction trials — Testing blood tests and imaging to identify women likely to develop preeclampsia before symptoms appear, often studying whether acting on those results improves outcomes.
- Blood pressure management trials — Testing specific drugs and blood pressure targets during pregnancy, particularly finding the right balance between protecting the mother and avoiding fetal effects.
- Severe preeclampsia management trials — Testing treatments for women who develop preeclampsia early or severely, including drugs to extend pregnancy safely and reduce organ damage.
- Long-term cardiovascular trials — Following women who had preeclampsia to study their elevated heart disease risk and test whether early preventive care reduces it.
Recently added Preeclampsia trials
Exercise to Improve Heart and Metabolic Health After Childbirth in Women at High Risk for Preeclampsia
Women who develop hypertensive disorders of pregnancy have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. Whether exercise during the postpartum period improves cardiometabolic health in this population remains unclear. This pilot randomized controlled trial will recruit 40 women who were identified as being at high risk for preeclampsia during pregnancy and subsequently developed a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Participants will be enrolled 6 to 8 weeks after delivery and randomly assigned to a 12-week exercise program or standard postnatal care. The exercise program will consist of three sessions per week combining moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, resistance training, and pelvic floor exercises. Cardiovascular function, blood pressure, blood markers of cardiometabolic health, physical fitness, and body composition will be assessed before and after the 12-week period. Changes in mood, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life will also be evaluated. The study will provide preliminary evidence on the effects of postpartum exercise in this population and inform the design of a larger trial.
Retinal and Choroidal Microcirculation in Preeclampsia: An OCTA Study
Preeclampsia is a multisystemic and multifactorial disorder that complicates pregnancy and is characterized by new-onset hypertension after the 20th week of gestation accompanied by proteinuria or systemic findings such as renal dysfunction, hepatic dysfunction, pulmonary edema, thrombocytopenia, or neurological symptoms including headache and visual disturbances. It represents a significant risk factor for maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In normal pregnancy, trophoblasts invade and dilate the maternal spiral arteries, thereby increasing uteroplacental blood flow. In preeclampsia, however, inadequate trophoblastic invasion leads to defective placentation, resulting in uteroplacental hypoperfusion and ischemia. The hypoxic and ischemic placenta releases anti-angiogenic mediators into the maternal circulation, which disrupt maternal endothelial function. This endothelial dysfunction results in vasoconstriction, microthrombosis, and increased vascular permeability. Consequently, hypertension, renal and hepatic dysfunction, pulmonary edema, and neurological symptoms may develop in maternal organ systems. The endothelial dysfunction observed in preeclampsia can also affect the microvascular structures of the eye, leading to circulatory disturbances at the level of the retina and choroid. Disruption of endothelial integrity, together with vasospasm and microthrombus formation, may cause reduced perfusion in the retinal and choroidal microcirculation, forming the basis of the ophthalmic manifestations of preeclampsia. Clinically, this condition may present with visual disturbances, blurred vision, scotomas, retinal edema, and choroidal thickening. These microvascular changes can be evaluated noninvasively in outpatient settings using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA). OCT and OCTA allow high-resolution imaging of retinal and choroidal structures and enable quantitative assessment of vascular parameters such as vessel density, the size of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and choriocapillaris flow voids. Through these techniques, microvascular hypoperfusion, loss of vascular integrity, and ischemic areas caused by endothelial damage associated with preeclampsia can be objectively identified. The aim of this study is to evaluate ocular vascular changes associated with preeclampsia using OCT and OCTA
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