Comparative effectiveness of prophylactic strategies for preeclampsia: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the efficacy of calcium supplementation with other prophylactic strategies in preventing preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension in at-risk pregnant women.
Results Summary
Calcium supplementation was found to be effective in preventing preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension, with a relative risk reduction (0.71; 95% CI, 0.62-0.82) and a P score ranking of 74%. Its effects were robust across subgroups, though no significant differences were found between it and other effective strategies like aspirin, low-molecular-weight heparin, vitamin D, and exercise.
Population
Pregnant women at risk of preeclampsia.
Effective Dosage
Not specified in the abstract.
Duration
Not specified in the abstract.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Low-molecular-weight heparin | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.87 | were as efficacious as calcium supplementation and aspirin in preventing | #1 |
Vitamin D supplementation | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.95 | were as efficacious as calcium supplementation and aspirin in preventing | #2 |
Exercise | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.92 | were as efficacious as calcium supplementation and aspirin in preventing | #3 |
Calcium supplementation | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.82 | were as efficacious as low-molecular-weight heparin, vitamin D supplementation, and exercise in preventing | #4 |
Aspirin | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.86 | were as efficacious as low-molecular-weight heparin, vitamin D supplementation, and exercise in preventing | #5 |
Exercise | decrease | pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | tended to be superior to aspirin and calcium supplementation in preventing | #6 |
Aspirin | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | prophylactic effects were robust across subgroups | #7 |
Calcium supplementation | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | prophylactic effects were robust across subgroups | #8 |
Low-molecular-weight heparin | decrease | preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | prophylactic effects varied with different risk populations, dosages, areas, etc. | #9 |
Exercise | decrease | preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | prophylactic effects varied with different risk populations, dosages, areas, etc. | #10 |
Vitamin D supplementation | decrease | preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | prophylactic effects varied with different risk populations, dosages, areas, etc. | #11 |
Low-molecular-weight heparin | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | reduce the risk of | #12 |
Vitamin D supplementation | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | reduce the risk of | #13 |
Exercise | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | reduce the risk of | #14 |
Calcium supplementation | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | reduce the risk of | #15 |
Aspirin | decrease | preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension | pregnant women at risk | - | reduce the risk of | #16 |
- | no change | preeclampsia | pregnant women at risk | - | No significant differences between effective prophylactic strategies were found in preventing | #17 |
OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia is a common disease during pregnancy that leads to fetal and maternal adverse events. Few head-to-head clinical trials are currently comparing the effectiveness of prophylactic strategies for preeclampsia. In this network meta-analysis, we aimed to compare the efficacy of prophylactic strategies for preventing preeclampsia in pregnant women at risk. DATA SOURCES: Articles published in or before September 2021 from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov, references of key articles, and previous meta-analyses were manually searched. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials comparing prophylactic strategies preventing preeclampsia with each other or with negative controls were included. METHODS: Two reviewers independently extracted data, assessed the risk of bias, and assessed evidence certainty. The efficacy of prophylactic strategies was estimated by frequentist and Bayesian network meta-analysis models. The primary composite outcome was preeclampsia/ pregnancy-induced hypertension. RESULTS: In total, 130 trials with a total of 112,916 patients were included to assess 13 prophylactic strategies. Low-molecular-weight heparin (0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.87), vitamin D supplementation (0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.95), and exercise (0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-0.92) were as efficacious as calcium supplementation (0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.82) and aspirin (0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.86) in preventing preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension, with a P score ranking of 85%, 79%, 76%, 74%, and 61%, respectively. In the head-to-head comparison, no differences were found between these effective prophylactic strategies for preventing preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension, except with regard to exercise, which tended to be superior to aspirin and calcium supplementation in preventing pregnancy-induced hypertension. Furthermore, the prophylactic effects of aspirin and calcium supplementation were robust across subgroups. However, the prophylactic effects of low-molecular-weight heparin, exercise, and vitamin D supplementation on preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension varied with different risk populations, dosages, areas, etc. The certainty of the evidence was moderate to very low. CONCLUSION: Low-molecular-weight heparin, vitamin D supplementation, exercise, calcium supplementation, and aspirin reduce the risk of preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension. No significant differences between effective prophylactic strategies were found in preventing preeclampsia. These findings raise the necessity to reevaluate the prophylactic effects of low-molecular-weight heparin, vitamin D supplementation, and exercise on preeclampsia.