Preeclampsia, a cardiovascular condition that affects expecting mothers and often causes premature births, kills 100,000 women worldwide every year. Previously, it’s been difficult to predict or prevent before the late stages of a pregnancy. But a few researchers at the University of Iowa may change that. Mark Santillan, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist, Justin Grobe, assistant professor of Pharmacology and a Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA), and Donna Santillan, research assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology have published a study that hypothesizes a certain hormone may allow doctors to detect this condition early on. This is especially important for rural and underserved areas who often don’t have on-hand, specialized obstetrics doctors. Host Ben Kieffer discusses the finding and its implications with Mark Santillan.
