title: Aspirin vs Heparin for the Prevention of Preeclampsia.
abstract: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that remains a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Preeclampsia can be resolved by delivery, and most of the proposed preventive treatment approaches are based on processes involved in placental development in early pregnancy. Yet, none of these has been established in clinical practice. Low-dose aspirin is the most promising candidate, nevertheless; while some individual randomized controlled trials showed minimal or no statistically significant benefit, recent metanalyses showed that early initiation before 16 weeks of gestation is associated with prevention of early-onset preeclampsia and reduction in prevalence of perinatal death or morbidity of pregnant women. Heparin could be an alternative antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory median to prevent preeclampsia either alone or in combination with aspirin; however, results are conflicting concerning efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katsi
authors.affiliation: Blood Bank and Hemophilia Unit, Hippokration Hospital, 32, Dimarchiou str., 122-42 Aegaleo, Athens, Greece. theokanel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Theoni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanellopoulou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Helena Venizelou Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nihoyannopoulos
authors.affiliation: Blood Bank and Hemophilia Unit, Hippokration Hospital, 32, Dimarchiou str., 122-42 Aegaleo, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Efrosyni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nomikou
authors.affiliation: First Cardiology Department, Athens University Medical School, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tousoulis
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D010922:Placenta Diseases; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: Aspirin; Heparin; Hypertension; Placental disease; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy complications