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Research is indispensable for resolving public health challenges – whether it be tackling diseases of poverty, responding to rise of chronic diseases,  or ensuring that mothers have access to safe delivery practices.

Likewise, shared vulnerability to global threats, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola virus disease, Zika virus and avian influenza has mobilized global research efforts in support of enhancing capacity for preparedness and response. Research is strengthening surveillance, rapid diagnostics and development of vaccines and medicines.

Public-private partnerships and other innovative mechanisms for research are concentrating on neglected diseases in order to stimulate the development of vaccines, drugs and diagnostics where market forces alone are insufficient.

Research for health spans 5 generic areas of activity:

• measuring the magnitude and distribution of the health problem;
• understanding the diverse causes or the determinants of the problem, whether they are due to biological, behavioural, social or environmental factors;
• developing solutions or interventions that will help to prevent or mitigate the problem;
• implementing or delivering solutions through policies and programmes; and
• evaluating the impact of these solutions on the level and distribution of the problem.

High-quality research is essential to fulfilling WHO’s mandate for the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. One of the Organization’s core functions is to set international norms, standards and guidelines, including setting international standards for research.

Under the “WHO strategy on research for health”, the Organization works to identify research priorities, and promote and conduct research with the following 4 goals:

• Capacity - build capacity to strengthen health research systems within Member States.
• Priorities - support the setting of research priorities that meet health needs particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
• Standards - develop an enabling environment for research through the creation of norms and standards for good research practice.
• Translation - ensure quality evidence is turned into affordable health technologies and evidence-informed policy.
• Prequalification of medicines by WHO
• Global Observatory on Health R&D
• Global Observatory on Health Research and Development
• Implementation research toolkit
• Ethics in implementation research: participant's guide
• Ethics in implementation research: facilitator's guide
• Ethics in epidemics, emergencies and disasters: Research, surveillance and patient care: WHO training manual
• WHA58.34 Ministerial Summit on Health Research
• WHA60.15 WHO's role and responsibilities in health research
• WHA63.21 WHO's role and responsibilities in health research
• EB115/30 Ministerial Summit on Health Research: report by the Secretariat
• Science division

WHO advisory group convenes its first meeting on responsible use of the life sciences in Geneva

Challenging harmful masculinities and engaging men and boys in sexual and reproductive health

Stakeholders convene in Uganda on responsible use of the life sciences

The Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research meets for the first time

WHO Science Council meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, 30-31 January 2024: report

This is a visual summary of the meeting of the WHO Science Council which took place on 30 and 31 January 2024.

WHO Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (‎TAG-RULS...

The Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (TAG-RULS DUR) was established in November 2023 to provide...

Target product profile to detect "Dracunculus medinensis" presence in environmental samples 

Dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea-worm disease, is caused by infection with the parasitic nematode (the Guinea worm). In May 1986, the Thirty-ninth...

Target product profile to detect prepatent "Dracunculus medinensis" infections in animals

Dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea-worm disease, is caused by infection with the parasitic nematode Dracunculus medinensis (the Guinea worm). In May...

Coordinating R&D on antimicrobial resistance

Ensuring responsible use of life sciences research

Optimizing research and development processes for accelerated access to health products

Prioritizing diseases for research and development in emergency contexts

Promoting research on Buruli ulcer

Research in maternal, perinatal, and adolescent health

Undertaking health law research

Feature story

One year on, Global Observatory on Health R&D identifies striking gaps and inequalities

Video: Open access to health: WHO joins cOAlition S

Video: Multisectional research on sleeping sickness in Tanzania in the context of climate change

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Health Research 4 U

Safe To Play

The National Center for Health Research conducts, analyzes, and explains the latest research and works with patients, consumers, and opinion leaders to use that information to improve their own health and to develop better programs, policies, and services.

We conduct, analyze, and explain the latest research and help patients and family members use that information to improve their own health.  Our free helpline answers your personal questions about the pros and cons of different options to improve your health or treat serious diseases.

• We conduct research that can save lives, improve health, and improve the quality of your life.
• We explain research findings so that they can be used to improve the health and safety of individuals and communities nationwide
• We work with the media to help get the word out to those who will most benefit from it.
• We educate policy makers, policy analysts, opinion leaders, the media, and the public through briefings, hearings, meetings, and written materials
• We share our publications and information for free with other organizations, researchers, patients, and advocates.
• We coordinate and strategize with them, working together to inform the public, be part of the public debate on policy issues, and improve public health.
• We disseminate information that can change or save lives, to the people who need it most.

We do not accept funding from companies that make the treatments or products that we evaluate or study.  Our staff are trained in medicine and public health so that the information we provide is always based on scientific evidence.  We don’t spend money on fancy galas or advertisements, we spend it on conducting and scrutinizing research, assisting those who need our help, and changing policies to make medical treatments, prevention strategies, and consumer products safer, more effective, and more affordable.  That’s why our small nonprofit  accomplishes so much.

Why is the National Center for Health Research Needed?

On many health issues, media coverage and lobbying tend to reflect the views of corporations and organizations whose interpretation of “the facts” is influenced by their own financial interests. The interests and needs of ordinary women, men, and children are often underrepresented by the army of “experts” touting the new policy or new miracle treatment. Individuals may find it difficult to have their voices heard. We are a strong voice to provide sound science and useful information.

Many national health organizations focus on one specific health issue or access to medical care. Our organization has a different mission – to improve the quality of medical care and public health for everyone. We focus on the programs and policies that we believe can most benefit from the research-based information that we can provide and the attention that we can generate.

We provide information that is based on facts, not ideology or financial ties to the programs or products we analyze. In addition to the scientific expertise of our highly qualified staff, we rely on the expertise of unbiased, well-respected researchers from across the country. We believe consumers should be empowered to make decisions based on the best available research evidence. We have leadership positions in Consumers United for Evidence-Based Healthcare (CUE) , the Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition , and the Alliance for a Stronger FDA .

For more information about us, check out our key staff , national Boards , and newsletters and annual reports .

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Useful information

• Sampling methods
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• Are some types of evidence better than others?
• Populations and samples
• Correlation and causation
• Scientific uncertainty
• How to read a scientific paper
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• What is the Understanding Health Research tool?

Trying to make sense of health research?

This tool will guide you through a series of questions to help you to review and interpret a published health research paper. you will also be given some guidance on how to work out whether the research findings apply to you or not. you need to be careful about applying research findings to your own circumstances, and in many cases it is best to speak to a health professional before making decisions based on research findings., get started, check other sources, about the tool.

Participating in Health Research Studies

What is health research.

• Is Health Research Safe?
• Is Health Research Right for Me?
• Types of Health Research

The term "health research," sometimes also called "medical research" or "clinical research," refers to research that is done to learn more about human health. Health research also aims to find better ways to prevent and treat disease. Health research is an important way to help improve the care and treatment of people worldwide.

Have you ever wondered how certain drugs can cure or help treat illness? For instance, you might have wondered how aspirin helps reduce pain. Well, health research begins with questions that have not been answered yet such as:

"Does a certain drug improve health?"

To gain more knowledge about illness and how the human body and mind work, volunteers can help researchers answer questions about health in studies of an illness. Studies might involve testing new drugs, vaccines, surgical procedures, or medical devices in clinical trials . For this reason, health research can involve known and unknown risks. To answer questions correctly, safely, and according to the best methods, researchers have detailed plans for the research and procedures that are part of any study. These procedures are called "protocols."

An example of a research protocol includes the process for determining participation in a study. A person might meet certain conditions, called "inclusion criteria," if they have the required characteristics for a study. A study on menopause may require participants to be female. On the other hand, a person might not be able to enroll in a study if they do not meet these criteria based on "exclusion criteria." A male may not be able to enroll in a study on menopause. These criteria are part of all research protocols. Study requirements are listed in the description of the study.

A Brief History

While a few studies of disease were done using a scientific approach as far back as the 14th Century, the era of modern health research started after World War II with early studies of antibiotics. Since then, health research and clinical trials have been essential for the development of more than 1,000 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs. These drugs help treat infections, manage long term or chronic illness, and prolong the life of patients with cancer and HIV.

Sound research demands a clear consent process. Public knowledge of the potential abuses of medical research arose after the severe misconduct of research in Germany during World War II. This resulted in rules to ensure that volunteers freely agree, or give "consent," to any study they are involved in. To give consent, one should have clear knowledge about the study process explained by study staff. Additional safeguards for volunteers were also written in the Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki .

New rules and regulations to protect research volunteers and to eliminate ethical violations have also been put in to place after the Tuskegee trial . In this unfortunate study, African American patients with syphilis were denied known treatment so that researchers could study the history of the illness. With these added protections, health research has brought new drugs and treatments to patients worldwide. Thus, health research has found cures to many diseases and helped manage many others.

Why is Health Research Important?

The development of new medical treatments and cures would not happen without health research and the active role of research volunteers. Behind every discovery of a new medicine and treatment are thousands of people who were involved in health research. Thanks to the advances in medical care and public health, we now live on average 10 years longer than in the 1960's and 20 years longer than in the 1930's. Without research, many diseases that can now be treated would cripple people or result in early death. New drugs, new ways to treat old and new illnesses, and new ways to prevent diseases in people at risk of developing them, can only result from health research.

Before health research was a part of health care, doctors would choose medical treatments based on their best guesses, and they were often wrong. Now, health research takes the guesswork out. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all new medicines are fully tested before doctors can prescribe them. Many things that we now take for granted are the result of medical studies that have been done in the past. For instance, blood pressure pills, vaccines to prevent infectious diseases, transplant surgery, and chemotherapy are all the result of research.

Medical research often seems much like standard medical care, but it has a distinct goal. Medical care is the way that your doctors treat your illness or injury. Its only purpose is to make you feel better and you receive direct benefits. On the other hand, medical research studies are done to learn about and to improve current treatments. We all benefit from the new knowledge that is gained in the form of new drugs, vaccines, medical devices (such as pacemakers) and surgeries. However, it is crucial to know that volunteers do not always receive any direct benefits from being in a study. It is not known if the treatment or drug being studied is better, the same, or even worse than what is now used. If this was known, there would be no need for any medical studies.

• Next: Is Health Research Safe? >>
• Last Updated: May 27, 2020 3:05 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/healthresearch

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Initiatives and Committees

Plan your research, join a study, what is health research, biomedical_translation.

Health research is an investigation of a human health issue to learn more about it. It is usually funded by the government, private foundations, and/or drug companies with the hope that the new information will be useful to patients, the community, and other researchers.

What are types of health research?

There are different types of health research:

Behavioral research  looks at how people and groups act or behave in different ways. Examples include:

• Answering questions about your experience with an illness
• Taking part in a focus group to talk about a new way to improve health

Clinical research,  also known as clinical trials, focuses on finding and testing new medicines (drugs), medical devices, or other medical treatments. Examples include:

• Developing a new test for breast cancer
• Comparing two medications (drugs) to treat heart disease to see which one works better
• Developing lenses to help people see more clearly after eye surgery

Genetic research looks at the role of genes in different diseases and health conditions. Examples include:

• The discovery of the BRCA gene mutation as a risk factor for breast cancer
• Developing medications or treatments based on a person’s genes (this is also known as precision medicine)

Public health research focuses on the prevention and treatment of illness and disease in a community or population. Examples include:

• Developing a media campaign to encourage people to eat healthy
• Understanding how the flu spreads in a community

A research registry is a collection of information about individuals. Many registries collect information about people who have a specific disease or condition, while others seek participants of varying health status who may be willing to participate in research about a particular disease. Individuals voluntarily provide information about themselves to these registries. Registries can be sponsored by a government agency, nonprofit organization, health care facility, or private company. By joining a research registry, you agree to be contacted about participating in future research studies.

How is health research overseen at Columbia University?

Columbia University is one of the top research institutions in the world. Thousands of studies are conducted by the university's faculty and research staff each year. Much of this research has led to important results that help us lead healthier and better lives.

Research in which people will be asked to participate cannot begin until it has been approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). An IRB is a group of people which often includes doctors, social workers, nurses, scientists, and people from the local community. They all work together to make sure that human research is well planned and ethical.

The IRB decides, when approving studies, that it is reasonable to ask people whether they want to be involved. Both before and during the research study, the IRB serves to protect the rights and welfare of research participants. It makes sure that any risks in the research study are as small as possible. The IRB also reviews each study while it is going on to make sure volunteers continue to be protected. Visit the Columbia University  Human Research Protection Office to learn more about IRBs.

Why volunteer for a study?

People have many different reasons for volunteering for a research study:

• Help find a cure for an illness
• Help find ways to provide better care for sick people
• Benefit their community by being included in important health research
• Help gather information about how people think and behave
• Help discover more about how the body and mind work together

Is there a difference between research in adults and children?

It is important that children, as well as adults, be involved in research so that scientists can understand more about the health and behavior of children. There are specific laws and rules that apply to all research that involves children to protect them from harm. Children under 18 years of age cannot agree to participate in research for themselves and need to have their parents and/or guardians give permission for them to participate in research.

If you are a parent and/or guardian who is thinking about having your child involved in research we encourage you to talk with the researchers and to ask them as many questions as you may have about a study you are considering for your child.

How do I pick a research study and what questions should I ask the researcher?

When deciding if a research study is for you, carefully look over the study’s informed consent form with the researcher. The informed consent form describes the purpose of the study, what you will be asked to do as a research participant, how long the research will last, what are the risks and benefits of participating in the research, and how your personal information will be protected.

Before agreeing to participate in a research study, you may consider asking:

• What could happen to me, good and bad, if I take part in the research?
• What other choices do I have if I decide not to be in this study?
• If I decide to take part, how will this affect my daily life?
• How long will this study last?
• What will happen if I change my mind and want to leave the study?
• Who will find out that I am taking part in this study?
• What will happen to my personal (private) information?
• Will I be told the results of the study?
• If I have any questions, whom should I call?
• Who will pay for any costs related to the study?
• Will I be charged anything or paid to be in this study?

If participating in clinical research, you may want to ask:

• What tests or procedures will be done?
• If I am injured because I am in a study, who will pay the costs that may result?
• Who will be in charge of my care? Will I be able to continue to see my own doctor?
• Is it possible that I will receive a placebo?
• Could my condition get worse during the study? What will happen if it does?

How can I learn more?

Contact the Columbia Community Partnership for Health to learn more about participating in research. You can contact us by phone or in person:

Columbia Community Partnership for Health 390 Fort Washington Avenue, Ground Floor New York, NY 10033 646-697-2274

Visit NIH Clinical Trials and You to find out more about clinical research.

How can I participate?

Visit our research registries and studies page to learn how to join a registry or study.   

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Join a Clinical Trial or Research Study

Are you looking for a clinical trial or research study at the university of michigan, get connected to research at umhealthresearch.org..

UMHealthResearch.org is an easy-to-use website that helps connect researchers and volunteers. On UMHealthResearch.org you can easily:

• Search for active studies by medical condition, keyword or topic
• Create a personal profile tailored to your interests
• Show interest in studies you like
• Participate in studies when you are a good match
• Communicate with study teams

Health breakthroughs are only possible when many people participate in health research. Whether you are a healthy volunteer or someone with an existing medical condition, we want to help you find the right study match for you.

Thank you for your interest in helping with clinical and health research at the University of Michigan. We need your help today for better medicine tomorrow. 

What is University of Miami Health Research?

Some people are unaware of health research studies that could help their friends, family, or themselves. UMiamiHealthResearch.org is a place to connect volunteers with health research studies at the University of Miami. Because when we all get involved, it speeds up the time it takes to find new medical treatments and cures that help us live better, longer, healthier lives.

Sign up for our registry to be notified about the studies that interest you.

It's up to us. research today for a better tomorrow..

With your help, we can discover more.

How can I participate in a health research study?

Health research refers to research that is done to learn more about human health. Health research also aims to find better ways to prevent and treat disease. University of Miami health research studies can be done from the comfort of your home or safely in a clinic or office setting. Some studies may also provide compensation for your participation.

Why is diversity in research important?

What works for one person may not work for another. Medicines and treatments can have a different effect based on gender, race, and ethnicity. If research volunteers don’t represent all of us, scientists will not know if the results can be applied to all people equally.

Powered by participation

Medical breakthroughs happen when people like you participate in research studies.

It's up to us Research today for a better tomorrow

Health Research Policy: where the world of medicine and health care is an ever-evolving landscape

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Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19

Disability and function following sars-cov-2 infection.

Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020, many individuals infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have continued to experience lingering symptoms for months or even years following infection. Some symptoms can affect a person's ability to work or attend school for an extended period of time. Consequently, in 2022, the Social Security Administration requested that the National Academies convene a committee of relevant experts to investigate and provide an overview of the current status of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of long-term health effects related to Long COVID. This report presents the committee conclusions.

RESOURCES AT A GLANCE

• Press Release
• Health and Medicine — Infectious Disease

Suggested Citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19: Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27756. Import this citation to: Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager

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• Paperback (forthcoming):  978-0-309-71860-8

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Most Black Americans Believe U.S. Institutions Were Designed To Hold Black People Back

6. black americans and mistrust of the u.s. health care system and medical research, table of contents.

• In their own words: Quotes from our 2023 focus groups of Black Americans
• Most Black adults say they experience racial discrimination
• Black adults feel angry or undermined in the face of discrimination 
• Black adults say they must work more than everyone else to get ahead 
• Black Americans believe the criminal justice system was designed to hold them back
• Black adults and mistrust about policing and prisons 
• Many Black Americans believe the U.S. political system was designed to hold them back
• Black Americans, Black political leaders and mistrust of the U.S. political system
• Black Americans believe the economic system was designed to hold them back
• Mistrust of big businesses
• About half of Black Americans believe U.S. news media was designed to hold them back 
• Most Black adults say they encounter inaccurate news about Black people
• Some Black Americans believe the health care system was designed to hold them back
• Mistrust about medical research
• Mistrust of family-related government policy  
• Mistrust of government reproductive health policy
• Acknowledgments
• The American Trends Panel survey methodology
• Focus group methodology

Editorial note to readers

A version of this study was originally published on June 10. We previously used the term “ racial conspiracy theories ” as an editorial shorthand to describe a complex and mixed set of findings. By using these words, our reporting distorted rather than clarified the point of the study. Changes to this version include: an updated headline, new “explainer” paragraphs, some additional context and direct quotes from focus group participants.

Claudia Deane, Mark Hugo Lopez and Neha Sahgal contributed to the revision of this report.

Although the Tuskegee Syphilis Study is one of the best-known examples of race-based medical malpractice, there are others.

Throughout the 20th century, many Black women were subject to eugenics laws that forcibly sterilized them . In 1951, Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cells were harvested and studied without her knowledge or consent.

Today, some Black women specifically seek out Black obstetricians to avoid racial discrimination in medical care and improve their health outcomes. This history of mistrust provides the context for Black Americans’ beliefs about the health care system and medical research.

A 2022 Pew Research Center report found mixed results in how Black adults assessed their experiences with health care . While nearly half (47%) said health outcomes for Black people have improved over the last 20 years, sizable minorities said they have stayed the same (31%) or gotten worse (20%).

And the majority of Black Americans (55%) said they have had negative experiences with doctors , including having to speak up to get proper care and feeling like the pain they were experiencing was not taken seriously.

In the current survey, 51% of Black Americans say the U.S. health care system was designed to hold Black people back a great deal or fair amount. Another 28% say it was designed to hold Black people back some, and 19% say not too much or not at all.

Black adults differ significantly on this question by gender. Indeed, Black women (58%) are more likely than Black men (44%) to say the health care system was designed to hold Black people back. But Black women under 50 (61%) are much more likely to say this than older Black women (54%) and all men regardless of age (44%). These patterns are like those in the 2022 study , which found that Black women (particularly those under 50) were significantly more likely than Black men to report negative experiences in health care. This includes not having their women’s health concerns taken seriously.

While many Black adults say the U.S. health care system was designed to hold Black people back (51%), 78% say they have heard the idea that medical researchers experiment on Black people without their knowledge or consent. Only 19% say they have not heard about this at all.

When it comes to medical research, 55% of Black Americans believe nonconsensual experiments are being conducted on Black people today. Fewer say this is a thing of the past (30%) or that it never happened (10%).

Like their general belief that the U.S. health care system was designed to hold Black people back, Black women (57%) are slightly more likely than Black men (52%) to believe medical experimentation on Black people without their knowledge or consent is something that is happening today.

Black adults with some college (58%) or a high school diploma (55%) are more likely than those with a bachelor’s degree or higher (49%) to say medical experimentation on Black people without their knowledge or consent happens today.

Likewise, Black adults with lower incomes (60%) are the most likely among the income groups to agree. Black adults who live in the Midwest (60%) are more likely than those in the Northeast (52%) to say medical experimentation against Black people happens today. About half of Black adults in the South (54%) and the West (53%) say the same. Black adults in urban areas (59%) are more likely than those in the suburbs (51%) to say these types of experiments happen today, while 57% of those in rural areas agree.

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How Does Medical Inflation Compare to Inflation in the Rest of the Economy?

Shameek Rakshit , Emma Wager , Cynthia Cox , Paul Hughes-Cromwick, and Krutika Amin Published: May 17, 2024

Note: This analysis was updated on May 17, 2024 to include new data.

Inflation in medical care prices and overall health spending typically outpaces inflation in the rest of the economy. However, since 2021, medical prices have grown at a similar rate as in past years while prices in some other parts of the economy grew much more rapidly than in the past.

While medical care prices increased by 2.2% between March 2023 and March 2024, the prices of all goods and services increased by 3.5%, according to an updated analysis. Prices for hospital services and related services (7.7%) – both inpatient (6.9%) and outpatient (8.3%) – as well as for nursing homes (3.9%) rose faster than for prescription drugs and physicians’ services (0.4% and 0.7%, respectively).

KFF uses Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, including the consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) to analyze prices for medical care compared to other goods and services. The analysis can be found on the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker , an information hub dedicated to monitoring and assessing the performance of the U.S. health system.

• Health Costs
• Peterson-KFF

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• What are the recent and forecasted trends in prescription drug spending?

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Trends in Preeclampsia Risk Factors in the US From 2010 to 2021

• 1 Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
• 2 Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 3 Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan
• JAMA Patient Page Screening for Preeclampsia During Pregnancy Jill Jin, MD, MPH JAMA
• US Preventive Services Task Force USPSTF Recommendation: Aspirin Use to Prevent Preeclampsia US Preventive Services Task Force; Karina W. Davidson, PhD, MASc; Michael J. Barry, MD; Carol M. Mangione, MD, MSPH; Michael Cabana, MD, MA, MPH; Aaron B. Caughey, MD, PhD; Esa M. Davis, MD, MPH; Katrina E. Donahue, MD, MPH; Chyke A. Doubeni, MD, MPH; Martha Kubik, PhD, RN; Li Li, MD, PhD, MPH; Gbenga Ogedegbe, MD, MPH; Lori Pbert, PhD; Michael Silverstein, MD, MPH; Melissa A. Simon, MD, MPH; James Stevermer, MD, MSPH; Chien-Wen Tseng, MD, MPH, MSEE; John B. Wong, MD JAMA
• Original Investigation Aspirin Discontinuation at 24 to 28 Weeks’ Gestation in Pregnancies at High Risk of Preterm Preeclampsia Manel Mendoza, PhD; Erika Bonacina, MD; Pablo Garcia-Manau, MD; Monica López, MD; Sara Caamiña, MD; Àngels Vives, PhD; Eva Lopez-Quesada, PhD; Marta Ricart, MD; Anna Maroto, PhD; Laura de Mingo, MD; Elena Pintado, MD; Roser Ferrer-Costa, PhD; Lourdes Martin, MD; Alicia Rodríguez-Zurita, MD; Esperanza Garcia, MD; Mar Pallarols, MD; Laia Vidal-Sagnier, MD; Mireia Teixidor, MD; Carmen Orizales-Lago, MD; Adela Pérez-Gomez, MD; Vanesa Ocaña, MD; Linda Puerto, MD; Pilar Millán, MD; Mercè Alsius, MD; Sonia Diaz, MD; Nerea Maiz, PhD; Elena Carreras, PhD; Anna Suy, PhD JAMA

Preeclampsia is associated with substantial maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. 1 High risk factors for preeclampsia include chronic hypertension, pregestational diabetes, history of preeclampsia, multifetal gestation, autoimmune disease, and kidney disease. Moderate risk factors include nulliparity, advanced maternal age (defined as ≥35 years), body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) greater than 30, interpregnancy interval of greater than or equal to 10 years, family history of preeclampsia, certain sociodemographic characteristics (Black race, low socioeconomic status), and in vitro fertilization (IVF). 1 Trends in risk factors have not been evaluated since a study in a single medical center using data from 1988 to 2014. 2 Thus, this study evaluated trends in preeclampsia risk factors in the US between 2010 and 2021.

Read More About

Ayyash MK , McLaren R , Shaman M , Al-Kouatly HB. Trends in Preeclampsia Risk Factors in the US From 2010 to 2021. JAMA. Published online June 10, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.8931

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