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More women are being diagnosed with preeclampsia. New testing from Labcorp could save lives with earlier detection

22 May 2024

Every year, preeclampsia impacts about 1 in 25 pregnant women in the U.S., and every preeclampsia story is unique. 

For Stephanie Christofides, preeclampsia struck while abroad in Cyprus when she was 28 years old. Despite concerning symptoms discussed with her OBGYN, she was cleared to travel. Shortly after arriving, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia and had an emergency C-section at 26 weeks. Her son spent months in the NICU.  

For Crystal Dock, preeclampsia affected both pregnancies, first at age 28, and again at age 39. With some early signs throughout her second pregnancy, she had to persistently advocate for a diagnosis at 28 weeks.  

Alex Herring was 33 years old when she experienced preeclampsia later in her pregnancy, at 30 weeks. At 35 weeks, she had a C-section to save her and her son. Despite their happy ending, Alex recalls that her health at the time was skating “on a razor-thin edge.” 

Though every story differs, early detection is key to improving outcomes and preventing complications. To aid early detection, Labcorp recently launched the first trimester preeclampsia screening test in the United States. Performed between 11-14 weeks gestation, it determines the risk of developing preeclampsia before 34 weeks. Labcorp is now the only lab that can detect preeclampsia risk across all trimesters.  

Discover how Labcorp is empowering providers and mothers through innovative preeclampsia testing across all trimesters. 

Preeclampsia screening recommendations and the need for early detection 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provides detailed criteria for preeclampsia screening and diagnosis, including mild and severe forms of the condition. However, these guidelines have their limitations, according to Sydney Strickland, PhD, DABCC, the biochemical genetics discipline director and laboratory director for Labcorp Women’s Health and Genetics. 

Dr. Strickland notes that providers screening for preeclampsia may only accurately detect 30% to 40% of cases, according to research examining guidelines in the U.K., which are similar to those in the U.S. 

Where does this leave women like Stephanie and Crystal? At 24 weeks, Stephanie was told it was unlikely she had preeclampsia despite symptoms. Crystal had multiple risk factors, but her pregnancy wasn't considered high-risk. She had to advocate with each symptom, even postpartum, as many women are also unaware of the risk of postpartum preeclampsia. 

“I’m just learning about postpartum preeclampsia and the seriousness of it now,” says Crystal. “I’ve always been told that preeclampsia gets better after you deliver. But for me, I saw firsthand that it doesn’t automatically get better. You have to pay attention and listen to your body.” 

"Unfortunately, we’ve heard these stories repeatedly," says Dr. Strickland, who wants more objective data to better identify those at risk, improve education and counseling, and prevent severe outcomes. 

More comprehensive solutions to early preeclampsia detection 

During a recent presentation at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), Dr. Strickland and her colleague, Kelly Curd, MS, M.Ed., CGC, medical science liaison, Women’s Health and Genetics at Labcorp, noted that the U.S. is approximately five to seven years behind other countries when it comes to preeclampsia screening and prevention. Compared to other countries, the U.S. has limited society guidelines, reimbursement measures and intervention consensus, including a lack of screening options and clinical data, particularly for those who experience preeclampsia in the first trimester. Plus, the preeclampsia rate is 60% higher in Black women than in white women, and Black women are more likely to develop severe complications of the condition—contributing to a widening care gap in the U.S. 

Labcorp offers two solutions for more comprehensive screening. Our first-trimester test, conducted between 11-14 weeks, screens for risk of preeclampsia occurring before 34 weeks. It examines maternal factors and biomarkers associated with blood pressure, fetal development, and placental health. 

For hospitalized patients, our FDA-cleared second and third trimester test, drawn between 23-35 weeks, uses similar biomarkers to assess severe risk of complications within two weeks.  

“We know that current U.S. screening guidelines are not identifying all women with preeclampsia,” Dr. Strickland says. “If someone knows they’re high-risk, they’re hopefully going to be able to alert their providers sooner, or they’ll be able to monitor their blood pressure on their own and raise a concern when needed.” 

The second and third trimester test can provide important information to clinicians about “who to keep a close eye on” among hospitalized patients with preeclampsia, explains Dr. Strickland. “Who do I need to prepare for delivery? Who can be discharged if all other symptoms are stable? This screening can help answer these questions and support providers as they monitor patients,” she explains.  

Comprehensive preeclampsia screening in action  

At the 2024 SMFM presentation, Dr. Strickland discussed a few case studies demonstrating the power of Labcorp’s new preeclampsia tests in both early identification and patient monitoring. 

In one case study, a 20-year-old patient with no risk factors or previous personal or family history of preeclampsia was determined to be screen-negative in a guideline-driven risk assessment (i.e., she was not considered “high-risk”). However, once she was given Labcorp’s first trimester screening test—which includes the same risk assessment plus additional biomarker testing—her biomarker test results showed she was, in fact, considered high-risk for preeclampsia. Ultimately, this patient went on to develop preeclampsia complications and delivered her baby just 27 weeks into her pregnancy. 

“This is an example of a patient who would be missed by current screening methods focused on comorbidities and history,” explains Dr. Strickland. 

As for Labcorp’s second and third trimester preeclampsia test, the validation study for the test—which examined the use of the test in pregnant women hospitalized for preeclampsia between 23 and 35 weeks’ gestation across 18 U.S. hospitals—has shown promising results. The research demonstrates that, among hospitalized women presenting with preeclampsia between 23 and 35 weeks’ gestation, Labcorp’s second and third trimester test provides an important strategy for stratifying the risk of progressing to severe preeclampsia within the subsequent two weeks. This test can support clinicians in determining who will need increased care for preeclampsia-related complications, whether that entails more monitoring or transfer to another facility. 

“Having that biomarker measurement as an extra tool can help providers make these important decisions in a timely manner,” says Dr. Strickland. 

For the hundreds of thousands of women in the U.S. who are impacted by preeclampsia every year—these comprehensive screening solutions can make a huge difference in health outcomes for both mom and baby. 

To learn more about preeclampsia, Labcorp’s new preeclampsia testing options and other pregnancy information, visit the following resources: 

 

Alex Herring and Crystal Dock are Labcorp employees. Stephanie Christofides is an employee of Fortrea, which is a business partner of Labcorp. No compensation or remuneration of any kind was paid in connection with this story.