Preeclampsia—a perilous, even deadly condition often diagnosed after pregnant or post-partum patients experience dangerously high blood pressure—can impact every organ in the body, including the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. While preeclampsia—a name used to cover a host of conditions—affects 5-8% of all U.S. births, it can be frustratingly hard to recognize before symptoms become life threatening. The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s two-year, $500,000 grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center will allow a team from the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing to delve into its causes, with the aim of improving treatment and outcomes.

Lucinda Canty, associate professor in the Marieb College of Nursing, will lead the team. She says there are still many unknowns surrounding preeclampsia, including knowing who exactly is at risk.

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“We just don’t know,” Canty said. “We say obesity could place someone at risk. But then we see someone who’s normal weight or even underweight become very sick from preeclampsia.”

The funding will provide an opportunity to shine more light on what exactly causes the condition in order to improve outcomes for expecting mothers and their babies.

Canty added the research will also look at if the condition disproportionately affects Black women. “Black women are three to four times more likely to die compared to white women when it comes to pregnancy-related complications, and twice as likely to come close [to death],” she said.

“Preeclampsia is one of those conditions where if it’s identified early, the health outcomes are improved. But what we’re seeing in Black women is that they’re more likely diagnosed when it’s very severe.”

The work will also include interviewing health care providers who have helped patients with preeclampsia and a review of medical records to gain a better understanding.

Canty says she hopes this research will also bring greater awareness of the condition, which, when detected early, has generally positive outcomes.

“When I talk to women who have preeclampsia, they’re like, ‘I didn’t know this was preeclampsia, I just thought my blood pressure was up and my ankles were swollen,’” she said. “There definitely is also the need to educate the community more about it, and not just the pregnant person themselves, but also those around them.”