Investigating the preventive effect of vitamins C and E on preeclampsia in nulliparous pregnant women

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder associated with pregnancy and is the leading cause of both maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Recent reports suggest that free radical-induced endothelial cell injury might be an etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effects of vitamins C and E for the prevention of preeclampsia. Methods This clinical trial was conducted in the year 2018 in the clinical centers of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences. One hundred and sixty nulliparous women aged 18–38 years without any risk factors for preeclampsia were divided into two groups. The first group received a 400-IU/day dose of vitamin E orally and a 1000-mg/day dose of vitamin C with iron tablets during 20–24 weeks of pregnancy, while the control group received only iron tablets. Finally, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency distribution tables. Results The incidence of preeclampsia in the control group was 17.5% and in the intervention group was 5%, which was significantly different. The mean systolic pressures before and after intervention were 99.43 ± 7.8 and 12.44 ± 19.1, respectively, in the control group, and 99.3 ± 8.3 and 106.12 ± 13.25, respectively, in the intervention group (P < 0.001). The mean diastolic pressures before and after intervention in the control group were 62.7 ± 13.6 and 62.7 ± 4.7 (P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion The results of this study show that vitamins C and E have protective effects against preeclampsia by alleviating the overall blood pressure.