The tragic death of American track and field champion Tori Bowie earlier this year put the spotlight on preeclampsia, which disproportionately impacts Black and Hispanic women.

Researchers from Western and Brown University have made groundbreaking progress towards identifying the root cause and potential therapy for preeclampsia.

  • over_clox@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m sorry, but can someone explain to me how Alzheimer’s and pregnancy have much of anything to do with each other?

    As far as I’m aware, the vast majority of women prone to Alzheimer’s are well beyond menopause, meaning they’re not even fertile anymore.

    Please, someone explain how these two things are correlated in any significant way…

    • nolefan33@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      This new research has shown a specific protein is present in the blood and placenta in individuals with preeclampsia. That protein is also being investigated as a cause (or at least indicator) of Alzheimer’s and lasting damage from traumatic brain injuries. Seemingly that’s the only link so far, this particular protein. Assuming all this is repeatable and there’s causation, the protein is probably a step along the way to a root cause.