Comparison of Serum Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc amongst Preeclampsia and Normotensive Pregnant Women attending a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Tripura, Northeast India

Abstract

Introduction: Preeclampsia is one of the most frequently encountered medical complications of pregnancy. If left untreated, it exerts serious medical complications for both the mother as well as baby. As a multifactorial progressive disease, identifying potential biomarkers for predicting preeclampsia is crucial for disease stratification and targeted therapy. There is a growing interest in early detection of micronutrient deficiencies, such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc, to understand the causes of preeclampsia development. Aim: To compare the serum levels of calcium, magnesium, and zinc in women with preeclampsia and normotensive pregnant women attending Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, Agartala, Tripura, India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Agartala Government Medical College, Agartala, Tripura, India, from January 2020 to December 2021. The study included primigravida women aged between 18 and 35 years, in their third trimester of pregnancy, with a singleton pregnancy. Sixty preeclampsia patients and 60 normotensive pregnant women were enrolled, and various biochemical parameters like serum calcium, magnesium, zinc, uric acid, urea, creatinine, Alanine Transaminase (ALT), and Aspartate Transaminase (AST) were analysed. Data were statistically analysed using the student t-test and Chi-square test. Results: The mean age (in years), gestational age (in weeks), and Body Mass Index (BMI) (Kg/m2 ) of the study subjects and control group were 26.02±4.69 and 23.4±3.81, 34.78±2.41 and 33.51±2.79, and 27.97±3.82 and 26.03±4.26, respectively. The authors observed that the levels of biochemical parameters like serum creatinine, AST, ALT, and uric acid were increased in preeclampsia. Furthermore, the serum concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and zinc were significantly decreased in preeclampsia. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that preeclamptic women have reduced levels of serum calcium, zinc, and magnesium compared to normal pregnant women. Therefore, dietary supplementation of these essential nutrients, either individually or in combination, may help prevent preeclampsia at an early stage and improve foetal outcomes.