Investigating preeclampsia risk factors and angiogenic profiles in low-screening area

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex pregnancy disorder that may cause adverse outcomes for mother and baby. Combining risk factors with clinical, laboratory, and ultrasonographic data can help identify women at risk. This study investigated the relationship between maternal risk factors, soluble fms-like tyro-sine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), their ratio, and pregnancy outcomes, involving 68 women with PE risk factors and 21 controls. There were no significant differences in the frequency of adverse outcomes (PE, foetal death, and infants with abnormal birth weight), sFlt-1, PlGF, the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, or birth weight centiles between the PE-risk and control groups. The most frequently recorded high-risk factor was gestational diabetes mellitus, whereas moderate risk was a pre-pregnancy body mass index of over 30 kg m^-2. The most prominent difference was observed in the subgroups with gestational hypertension and first-time pregnant women as risk factors, with significantly higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratios compared to the control group. Combining multiple risk factors increased the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio compared to both the control group and the group with only one risk factor. The study documented PE risk factors and outcomes at a Croatian hospital where angiogenic markers are not routinely used in screening. Findings highlighted the importance of integrating PE screening into standard practice.