Preeclampsia is a serious condition that can occur during pregnancy, usually characterised by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and severe swelling. Women who experience a preeclamptic pregnancy are more likely to develop high blood pressure and to have a heart attack in the years following. This project was designed to understand the relationship between this condition and heart disease, aiming to improve outcomes in women with preeclampsia.

If well managed, eclamptic women can have a healthy pregnancy; therefore, regular antenatal check-ups are vital. Preeclampsia can dramatically increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, even after postpartum (when the baby is born), when preeclampsia’s symptoms disappear. Clinical studies suggest that some women are discharged after birth without knowing their heart is not functioning optimally. With the prevalence of risk factors such as obesity on the rise, the incidence of preeclampsia and associated cardiovascular events is also expected to rise. Novel treatments that reduce blood pressure and improve heart function can be game-changing.

Prof Callaway’s team found that heart disease in preeclampsia is associated with injury to the heart tissue (a condition referred to as fibrosis), which impacts proper function. This was the first study to show that aspirin administration in the third trimester improves health function postpartum. They also tested a novel treatment that was derived from stem cells and contained beneficial properties such as anti-inflammatory mediators. Their preliminary data indicates that this new therapy reduces blood pressure and may also improve heart function.

These findings will minimise the risk of cardiac disease in women with preeclampsia and help decrease the readmissions and frequency of hospital visits long-term.