Pre-eclampsia and hypertension in pregnancy linked to 19 gene variants

Why blood pressure rises during some pregnancies is unclear. Better understanding the genetic links could lead to risk scores that gauge an individual’s risk of developing some pregnancy complications

By David Cox

Nineteen genetic variants have been linked to the onset of pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure during pregnancy. While further research is required, this could lead to genetic risk scores that gauge an individual’s risk of developing either condition.

So-called gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia are both defined as high blood pressure during pregnancy. The latter is also diagnosed by looking for protein in the urine, which can be a sign of kidney damage.

Some people have high …