Recent Advances in the Prevention and Screening of Preeclampsia

Abstract

Throughout the history of medicine, preeclampsia has remained an enigmatic field of obstetrics. In 2023, despite its prevalence and impact, preeclampsia's exact cause and effective treatment remain elusive; the current options are limited to delivery. The purpose of this review is to summarize the knowledge of the possible novel prophylactic therapies and screening methods for preeclampsia, thereby providing valuable insights for healthcare professionals and researchers. Aspirin and LMWH have already been widely used; meanwhile, calcium, vitamin D, and pravastatin show promise, and endothelin receptor antagonists are being explored. Stress reduction, dietary changes, and lifestyle modifications are also being investigated. Another interesting and fast-growing area is AI- and software-based screening methods. It is also key to find novel biomarkers, which, in some cases, are not only able to predict the development of the disease, but some of them hold promise to be a potential therapeutic target. We conclude that, while a definitive cure for preeclampsia may not be eligible in the near future, it is likely that the assessment and enhancement of preventive methods will lead to the prevention of many cases. However, it is also important to highlight that more additional research is needed in the future to clarify the exact pathophysiology of preeclampsia and to thus identify potential therapeutic targets for more improved treatment methods.

Keywords: AI; Mediterranean-style diet; artificial intelligence; calcium; early detection; endothelial dysfunction; pravastatin; preeclampsia; prevention; review; screening; statin; vitamin D.

Figure 1

The summarization of preeclampsia preventions and therapies presented in this review.