A new study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth finds that objective information about risk of preeclampsia could be key to driving patient behavior change and creates motivation among pregnant patients to follow provider recommendations on prevention, even among those who are medication-hesitant.
Preeclampsia - a condition that manifests as high blood pressure which impacts 8% of pregnancies - is often silent until symptoms develop and requires emergency intervention, including the need for preterm delivery. Currently, there is no way to predict who is most at-risk for developing complications like preeclampsia early in pregnancy. Women who experience preeclampsia during pregnancy are at increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and premature death, and children who are born preterm are at increased risk for numerous challenges across their lifespan. While there are medications like baby aspirin that have been shown to lower the risk of preeclampsia for high-risk individuals, reluctance to take aspirin remains a barrier.
“Evidence from other medical fields suggests that when patients know their personalized risk, they act on that information,” said Dr. Alison Cowan, FACOG, Head of Medical Affairs at Mirvie and lead author of the study. “This study translates insights from cardiology and personalized information on risk of heart disease to obstetrics for the first time. Patients are telling us that if they had objective testing to predict their risk of preeclampsia, it would meaningfully change the way they manage their pregnancies.”
While the present study focuses on the hypothetical availability of an objective test to predict preeclampsia, such testing for preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications could soon be available.
“Mirvie’s RNA platform focuses on the prediction of pregnancy complications, which is at the leading edge of what’s possible - addressing a huge unmet need in maternal health. Being able to predict who is at highest risk of pregnancy complications presents a massive opportunity for patients to do everything possible to prevent preeclampsia. And for physicians, it’s an important reminder that the toolbox isn’t empty when working with patients on prevention - especially if we can objectively identify who is at highest risk early in the pregnancy,” said Cowan.
Mirvie enabled leading researchers and patient advocates to publish the first-ever actionable, evidence-based care plan for preeclampsia, which will translate prediction of risk into prevention of disease. Recommendations include daily aspirin, blood pressure monitoring at home, and lifestyle shifts focused on diet, exercise, and sleep.
The study gleaned insights from a digital survey of 1,022 pregnant and recently delivered individuals on sentiments surrounding pregnancy care, knowledge about pregnancy complications, and their anticipated behavior change resulting from predictive testing for complications.
About The Mirvie RNA Platform
The proprietary Mirvie RNA platform combines revolutionary analysis of tens of thousands of RNA messages from the baby, the placenta, and the mom with machine learning. The platform opens a new window into pregnancy health for expecting parents to act and their doctors to intervene before unexpected complications become a crisis. It enables proactive, personalized, and preventive pregnancy care for the well-being of expecting parents and babies. Mirvie is conducting ongoing clinical research to validate existing peer-reviewed evidence, to enhance the Mirvie RNA platform performance, and to improve the understanding of other pregnancy complications.
Mirvie is delivering predictive tools and support that drive preventive and personalized pregnancy care. One in five pregnancies is impacted by complications that lead to lifelong health consequences for expecting parents and babies. The proprietary Mirvie RNA platform uses a simple blood test to reveal vital information about a pregnancy’s unique biology and detect complications months before they occur. The idea for Mirvie was sparked by the personal experience of one of the founders whose daughter was born prematurely. Mirvie’s team of world-class scientists and entrepreneurs have brought to market category-first, non invasive tests in both women’s health and in early cancer detection, used by millions today. Founded in 2018, Mirvie has raised more than $90 million in early-stage financing from top-tier investors, including Decheng Capital, Foresite Capital, General Catalyst, GV, Khosla Ventures, and Mayfield. Mirvie is based in South San Francisco, California.
Kate Enos
Director of Media Relations
kate@mirvie.com
