Vitamin D deficiency boosts risk of preeclampsia

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Vitamin D deficiency boosts risk of preeclampsia, study finds

Women with very low levels of the nutrient had a five times higher chance

of developing the life-threatening disorder.

By H. Maugh II

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-sci-preeclampsia8sep08,1,48\

11025.story

September 8, 2007

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of life-threatening preeclampsia

during pregnancy five-fold, Pennsylvania researchers reported Friday.

Some researchers have suspected that low levels of vitamin D contribute to

the disorder, which is characterized by soaring blood pressure and

swelling of the hands and feet, but the new study is the first to examine

its role directly.

Preeclampsia affects as many as 7% of first pregnancies and can progress

to eclampsia, which produces seizures and often fatal complications of the

liver, kidneys, lungs, blood and nervous system. Eclampsia causes 15% of

maternal deaths during pregnancy and as many as 70% of such deaths in

developing countries.

Epidemiologist M. Bodnar and her colleagues at the University of

Pittsburgh School of Health Sciences studied blood samples taken from

women and newborns early in pregnancy and just before delivery. They

identified 15 women who suffered preeclampsia and compared them with 220

who did not.

Although most of the women had levels of vitamin D lower than the optimum

level of 80 nanomoles per liter, those who suffered preeclampsia had

significantly lower levels. Women whose levels were below 37.5 nanomoles

per liter had five times the risk of developing the disorder, the team

reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Surprisingly, " the vast majority " of the women were taking prenatal

vitamins, which contain 200 to 400 international units of vitamin D.

" Experts believe you need to take 1,000 IUs per day to make a dent in

increasing your levels " of the vitamin, Bodnar said, and " that would

certainly be an appropriate recommendation for a pregnant woman. We do not

suggest that will prevent preeclampsia but . . . it has a lot of potential

benefits. "

Preliminary results from studies now underway at the Medical College of

South Carolina have shown no adverse effect from consuming as much as

4,000 IUs per day, she said.

thomas.maugh@...

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