Chronic Remote Ischemic Preconditioning as a Complement to Conventional Prenatal Care for Preeclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a disease specific to pregnancy that affects 3-5% of women. It is defined by the appearance of high blood pressure after 20 weeks of amenorrhea associated with the presence of proteins in the urine, dysfunction of organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs or brain, or dysfunction of the placenta. The cause of this disease is still unclear but it would most likely be a placental origin. Pre-eclampsia is a progressive disease that can lead to important complications. To date, there is no treatment for pre-eclampsia other than childbirth and more particularly placental delivery. Nevertheless, it is possible in some cases to stabilize arterial hypertension and thus to hope for a prolongation of the pregnancy. Our research project aims to study the effect of preconditioning on blood pressure. Preconditioning consists of using a blood pressure cuff and inflating it on the upper limb -like during a standard blood pressure measurement- for several minutes followed by a rest period in order to create "ischemia-reperfusion" periods. This technique would allow the release of beneficial substances into the bloodstream that would lower blood pressure. This method has been used for several years in different specialties and has produced good results on the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain. With this technique we hope to stabilize or even reduce blood pressure in cases of pre-eclampsia and thus prolong the pregnancy.