Women With a History of Preeclampsia Exhibit Accelerated Aging and Unfavorable Profiles of Senescence Markers

Scientists conducted a study to see if women with preeclampsia were more likely to exhibit accelerated aging and long-term health problems than those who did not experience preeclampsia during their pregnancies.

They compared 40 women who had preeclampsia with 40 women who had pregnancies without preeclampsia. The women were about the same age and had similar numbers of children. They did not include women with major heart concerns, autoimmune diseases, or other health complications.

The researchers collected urine and blood samples and tracked the women's health for about six years. They found that women who had preeclampsia showed signs of aging faster. These women had lower levels of a protein called α-Klotho, higher levels of leptin (a hormone related to fat), and other markers. Those who had preeclampsia also had more health problems at the start of the study and were four times more likely to have major heart problems years later.

The study findings suggest that having a history of preeclampsia might make women age faster and have more health problems, as indicated by senescence marker differences and the accumulation of multimorbidity (two or more serious long-term health conditions) later in life. Finding ways to target the aging process might help diagnose and treat these health issues. Targeting cellular senescence may be an approach to help diagnose and treat adverse health outcomes in women with a history of preeclampsia.

Take home: Women who have had preeclampsia are at greater risk for accelerated aging and multiple long-term health problems than those who did not have preeclampsia. They should regularly meet with their primary care physician and cardiologist to monitor and screen for cardiovascular diseases and other health complications. 

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38690656/

Citation: Suvakov S, Vaughan LE, Parashuram S, Butler Tobah YS, Jayachandran M, Kattah A, Chamberlain AM, Bielinski SJ, Milic N, Garovic VD. Women With a History of Preeclampsia Exhibit Accelerated Aging and Unfavorable Profiles of Senescence Markers. Hypertension. 2024 Jul;81(7):1550-1560. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.22250. Epub 2024 May 1. PMID: 38690656; PMCID: PMC11168873.

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Each quarter, our team of science writers reviews the most current research studies related to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and summarizes those studies of greatest interest and potential impact to our community, including research studies related to risk assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Special thanks to our volunteer research team, including Dr. Sig-Linda Jacobson, Dr. Jennifer Mitchell, and Amanda Yang, who under the leadership of Dr. Elizabeth Sutton, make Research Roundup possible, and to our Patient Advisory Council, who reviews these materials from the patient perspective.