title: Prevention of preeclampsia with calcium supplementation and its relation with the L-arginine:nitric oxide pathway.
abstract: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) remains a common cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. During the past 7 years, some progress has been made in the prevention of PIH. Specifically, clinical studies have shown that supplementation with calcium can significantly reduce the frequency of PIH, especially in populations with a low calcium intake. We have suggested that, in such a population, calcium supplementation is a safe and effective measure for reducing the incidence of PIH. Calcium supplementation reduces the risk of PIH by maintaining the serum ionized calcium level which is crucial for the production of endothelial nitric oxide, the increased generation of which maintains the vasodilatation that is characteristic of normal pregnancy. In PIH there is an impaired nitric oxide synthesis and cyclic GMP production.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Metabolismo Mineral, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central e Instituto de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo de la Salud (lides), Ministerio de Salud Pública, Quito, Ecuador.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: López-Jaramillo
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D002118:Calcium