Re: cent CNN article
From: Dr. Ainsworth (ainsron@sbcglobal.net)
Thu Oct 3 11:02:39 2002
Dan Braun referred to the same article on 9/26 posting. I was the only
one who even responded to it.
>This was forwarded to me from a non medical friend. I did not see/hear
>the original brodcast. Anyone see this? Anyone know anything about
>this? John.
>
>http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/parenting/09/27/preeclampsia.test.ap/index.html
>
>LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) -- A researcher has developed a test he
>says can predict early on whether a pregnant women will develop a
>potentially lethal form of high blood pressure called preeclampsia. And
>he offered evidence that aspirin at bedtime can ward off the condition.
>
>Dr. Ramon C. Hermida, director of the bioengineering and chronobiology
>laboratories at the University of Vigo in Spain, presented his studies
>Thursday at an American Heart Association conference here on high blood
>pressure.
>
>Preeclampsia, characterized by a sudden increase in blood pressure in
>late pregnancy, is one of the most dangerous and baffling complications
>of pregnancy. It can be deadly to the mother and lead to premature
>births.
>
>The only treatment until now has been to induce delivery of the baby in
>hopes it can be born before the mother develops seizures, called
>eclampsia. "Therefore, it is important to focus on prevention," Hermida
>said.
>
>Hermida said his tolerance-hyperbaric test, or THT, can be used as early
>as the first trimester of pregnancy. He said it can identify 93 percent
>of women at high risk for blood pressure complications several months
>before they develop systems detectable by doctors.
>
>These women can then be given low doses of aspirin at night, starting
>before the 16th week of pregnancy, he said.
>
>Although Hermida's studies have yet to undergo the scrutiny of peer
>review and duplicate clinical tests, experts were excited by the
>findings.
>
>"This has the potential for helping a lot of people and could reduce the
>risk of pregnancy," said Dr. Dan Jones, associate vice chancellor for
>health affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
>
>Worldwide, preeclampsia and eclampsia occur in about 10 percent of
>pregnant women and account for about 12 percent of pregnancy-related
>deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The condition is
>much more common in developing countries.
>
>Blood pressure varies in predictable ways throughout a pregnancy, and
>also on a daily pattern known as a circadian rhythm. The THT compares
>the expected variability with a particular woman's blood pressure
>pattern over a 48-hour period to find those who are consistently outside
>the expected range.
>
>Hermida said he plans to make the software for the THT available to
>scientists this fall.
>
>"This is important because if one is in a position to identify that
>segment of the population which has a higher probability of developing
>preeclampsia, then one is in the position to take precautionary
>measures," said Dr. Alberto Nasjletti, chair of American Heart
>Association's High Blood Pressure Research Council.
>
>Earlier studies on aspirin had conflicting results. Hermida said that
>may be because researchers used lower aspirin doses, started therapy
>later in pregnancy or gave it at different times of the day.
>
>In his study of 341 pregnant women, some were given 100 milligrams of
>aspirin at bedtime, upon awakening or during the day. Others were given
>dummy pills.
>
>The incidence of pre-eclampsia was 14.3 percent in the placebo group,
>but just 1.7 percent in the aspirin-at-bedtime group. High blood
>pressure occurred in 30.4 percent of women in the placebo group, but
>only 6.8 percent in the aspirin-at-bedtime group.
>
>Also, 17.9 percent of women in the placebo group went into labor early,
>while none of the women taking aspirin at night delivered early.
>
>He said aspirin taken in the morning did not work, he said.
>
>Hermida stressed that women should not take aspirin during pregnancy
>without a doctor's supervision. He noted that higher doses carry a risk
>of increased bleeding at delivery.
>
>--
>J.G.M.Robertson MD, 109-9181 Main St. Chilliwack, B.C. V2P 4M9
>(604) 793-9988 e-mail john.robertson@obgyn.net
>Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life,
>by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3 vs 13, NIV
>
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