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22/10/2015

Study To Examine Link Between Salt And Pre-Eclampsia

The University of Nottingham is to undertake research focusing on the role of salt in the diet of expectant mothers, and how this relates to the causes of pre-eclampsia.

The team at the University's Obstetrics and Gynaecology unit at the City Hospital, has been awarded more than £470,000 by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) for the study.

Pre-eclampsia can be life-threatening to both mother and baby and the only way to cure it is to deliver the baby. Often this can be prematurely. The condition begins with sudden onset of high blood pressure and protein in the urine and affects up to 6% of pregnant women.

For the research, Dr Hiten Mistry and his team will look at the effect of salt on pre-eclampsia. Typically, in people who are not pregnant, a reduction in salt intake reduces blood pressure, but recent studies have shown that the opposite is the case for pregnant women.

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Dr Mistry explained: "Pre-eclampsia is often a serious condition, which can mean the baby has to be delivered preterm (before 40 weeks). Pre-eclampsia also leaves both mother and baby with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.

"During pregnancy women can lose the ability to retain salt, so we aim to see whether increasing salt intake for a small amount of time during pregnancy may help to lower blood pressure and improve outcomes for women suffering from pre-eclampsia."

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, added: "This research by The University of Nottingham could prove vital in our efforts to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women. Pre-eclampsia affects around six per cent of pregnant women and is a major cause of maternal death.

"It's only by funding more research like this that we'll see the burden of this disease on pregnant women decrease. The BHF exists to end the suffering caused by all forms of heart and circulatory conditions and we're committed to funding the very best researchers doing the highest quality research in order to achieve that goal."

(JP/MH)

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"The University of Nottingham is to undertake research focusing on the role of salt in the diet of expectant mothers, and how this relates to the causes of pre-eclampsia."