Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and swelling, as well as more serious problems, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Although the absolute risk was low, women who had preeclampsia during two or three pregnancies had a relative risk between 3.2 and 15.5 times more than women with problem-free pregnancies. Having a low-birth-weight or preterm infant also increased the risk of developing ESRD even among women with no history of preeclampsia.
The risk was even higher for women when preeclampsia was combined with a low-birth-weight or prematurity, the authors report in the Aug. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers assume that ESRD may be a result of damage that occurs during a pregnancy with preeclampsia.
It may also be possible that increased body-mass index and elevated blood pressure may have already been present before the pregnancy and contributed to the preeclampsia and later kidney disease, the study said.
Researchers say that any young woman who has had any variant of preeclampsia and eclampsia needs to be monitored for ongoing or recurrent kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Such women should also keep their weight down, avoid smoking, and avoid drinking too much.
