Preeclampsia: Etiology, Pathophysiology, Risk Factors, Impact and Prevention: A Narrative Review

Preeclampsia (PE) caused 30%-40% of maternal and newborn deaths worldwide. Despite unclear exact cause, strategies exist to mitigate less severe PE effects. This review explores PE etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, impact, and prevention.

Searching Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Science Direct for “preeclampsia and pregnancy” and “prevention” yielded 2012–2022 articles.

Preeclampsia features abnormal placental changes, altered immunity response, trophoblast apoptosis, and reduced uterine perfusion. Risk factors include hypertension history, nulliparity, age over 40, BMI over 35 kg/m², family history, amniotic pregnancy, and long pregnancy interval. This condition risks cardiovascular and neonatal morbidity, straining health resources. Prevention involves aspirin, vitamin D, exercise, folic acid, diet, early screening, and antenatal care.

Findings emphasize enhancing health literacy and preeclampsia education in prenatal care to mitigate PE risk among women. Further research, novel therapies, and assessing prevention strategies with accessible educational materials and multidisciplinary approaches are warranted to enhance pregnant women's health literacy and decrease PE risk.