Pregnant women with pre-eclampsia could be given heart disease drugs to help treat the potentially life-threatening condition, it was announced yesterday.
Researchers are investigating the efficacy of statins after initial trials found the drugs could also help to decrease amounts of two proteins, soluble FLt-1 and soluble endoglin, linked to inducing pre-eclampsia.
The trial, funded by the Medical Research Council and led by the University of Edinburgh, will involve pregnant women diagnosed with very early-onset pre-eclampsia, which occurs when women are less than 32 weeks pregnant.
The study, which will also involve researchers from the University of Birmingham, University College London Hospital and Queen Mary, University of London, follows research that shows the enzyme involved – heme oxygenase 1 – produces carbon monoxide within cells.
Professor Asif Ahmed, who is leading the study, which is known as StAmP – statins to ameliorate early onset pre-eclampsia, stressed that pregnant women who think they may be susceptible to pre-eclampsia should not ask their doctor to prescribe statins.
Professor Asif Ahmed, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cardiovascular Science, said: "This is the first stage, but we are confident that taking a scientific approach to find a way to alleviate pre-eclampsia would enable us to prolong affected pregnancies, improving the outcome for both the baby and the expectant mother.
“If successful, this could help provide cheap, widely available therapy against pre-eclampsia which could help reduce maternal and infant deaths across the world."
Professor Max Parmar, Director of the Medical Research Council’s Clinical Trials Unit, said: "Pre-eclampsia is a major problem area in women’s health, so it would be a key step forward if this trial provides a positive outcome."
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