New Treatment For pre-eclampsia

In a significant breakthrough, a new and effective treatment for pre-eclampsia in pregnant women has been discovered by Australian scientists. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that kills 60,000 pregnant women globally each year and strikes 15,000 pregnant women in Australia online – causing premature birth or death.

According to The Age newspaper, Metformin, a cheap drug already used to treat diabetes has been found to block the release of toxins from the placenta when pre-eclampsia is diagnosed.

A team of Melbourne researchers, found that the drug was also beneficial to women with the condition as it assists with healing blood vessels. Pre-eclampsia is known to cause long-term damage to blood vessels.

The research team from the Translational Obstetrics Group at Mercy Hospital for Women and the University of Melbourne are now hoping to experiment with Metformin for use as a preventative measure of the condition and within an active treatment plan for pregnant women. If funding for more research is secured, the trials could start as early as next year.

Dr Fiona Brownfoot, lead author of the study being published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology today, told The Age it was an exciting finding because Metformin has already been deemed safe for pregnant women and their babies due to its use for diabetes.

“It’s very cheap and it’s a tablet so you don’t need a fridge to store it, which means it could be the perfect drug for the third world,” she said.

There are currently no drugs available to treat pre-eclampsia, which affects 38 per cent of pregnant women for 20 weeks gestation. Professor Stephen Tong explained to The Age that “the condition involves destructive molecules being released from the placenta into the mother’s bloodstream which damage blood vessels. This causes high blood pressure and damage to vital organs including the liver, kidneys, brain, lungs and blood clotting system. In severe cases, it can cause seizures and death.”

Metformin has become a focus for researchers in recent years because it is believed to prevent the spread of some cancers and increase life span.

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15 Comments

- - meedee said
  - 25 Nov 2021
    7:59 am
Always go for all your pregnancy visits and mention anything that it going on even if you think its nothing.

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 05 Feb 2016
    7:41 pm
scary to be pregnant and not well good to know there is help for these new mums to be

- - aprilb1 said
  - 15 Jan 2016
    11:59 am
That’s great news! Maybe try to contact Kim Kardashian, i think she suffered from it when she was pregnant, she might help with the funding lol

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 11 Jan 2016
    6:06 pm
great news – hope it helps all the yummy mummy’s to be x

- - ella12 said
  - 05 Jan 2016
    2:18 pm
Great to see they have found something to treat this condition.

- - mom64736 said
  - 03 Jan 2016
    1:18 am
Science is so amazing. I think it is wonderful just how advanced we have gotten at the whole pregnancy and birth stuff.

- - mom134803 said
  - 24 Dec 2015
    3:56 am
That’s great they found a treatment against pre-eclampsia ! Not sure if I’m positive about Metformin for use as a preventative measure of the condition and within an active treatment plan for pregnant women. Hope they mean to give this only on indication and not for all pregnant women ?

- - mom94125 said
  - 23 Dec 2015
    3:26 pm
yeah no doubt this condition is serious. it will be good to help ease mothers who are going through this. give them a more normal type of pregnancy and maybe they will enjoy being pregnant, instead of being fearful and stressed.

- - mum4107 said
  - 23 Dec 2015
    4:16 am
That sounds fantastic . I’m sure it will help a lot of women

- - mom57665 said
  - 23 Dec 2015
    12:23 am
I also wish there was some sort of cure for the worst morning sickness I have ever had
- Mummytoabeautifulprincess replied
  
  23 Dec 2015 , 3:07 pm
  That would be awesome!
- - mom101628 said
  - 22 Dec 2015
    10:33 pm
Isn’t it wonderful to live in this day and age – so pleased they have found a possible treatment for this problem.

- - mom74407 said
  - 22 Dec 2015
    9:36 pm
After Pre-clampsia with 3 pregnancies it is great to see there is some help for woman who have the same problem.

- - mom90758 said
  - 22 Dec 2015
    7:10 pm
That’s a great solution. So many women would benefit from this!!

- - mom165081 said
  - 22 Dec 2015
    4:30 pm
I am glad they have found what appears to be a solution – having been induced early due to pre-eclampsia, I know how bad it can be,