Clinical Risk Factors for Preeclampsia Determined in Early Pregnancy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Large Cohort Studies

Abstract

( BMJ. 2016;353:i1753) Earlier studies have reported the effectiveness of aspirin in preventing preeclampsia in women considered to be at moderate to high risk of developing this disorder. This current study was a meta-analysis of cohort studies examining risk factors for preeclampsia with the goal of estimating early in pregnancy (≤16 wk gestation) a woman’s risk of developing preeclampsia based on the presence of absence of various risk factors. Three practical estimates were generated: the absolute risk of developing preeclampsia in the presence or absence of a given risk factor; the relative risk in the presence or absence of a given risk factor, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) for preeclampsia in relation to each risk factor. On the basis of their analysis, the authors aimed to provide a list of risk factors that could be used to identify those women at high risk for developing preeclampsia.