Results of recent studies into pre-eclampsia testing have informed the latest National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, which recommends use of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio test to help rule-out this form of gestational hypertension.
Hypertensive disorders, such as pre-eclampsia (PE), affect approximately 13.5%1 of pregnancies in the UK, which equates to around 80,000 women. Pre-eclampsia occurs in approximately 2–3% of pregnancies in the UK1,2 and is the most common hypertensive disorder during pregnancy globally, resulting in substantial maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity.2,3
A UK study reported that one-third of severe maternal morbidity was a consequence of hypertensive conditions.4 The cause of pre-eclampsia is not fully understood, but there is growing evidence that angiogenic factors such as placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) play a major role in development of the condition.
Improved understanding leads to diagnostic advances
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