To review of the efficacy and safety of pravastatin use for prophylaxis and treatment of preeclampsia.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies evaluating pravastatin for treatment and/or prophylaxis of preeclampsia.
Two independent reviewers systematically searched data from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, and
Fourteen studies were identified, including 1,570 pregnant women who received either pravastatin or placebo, published between 2003 and 2022. From these studies, 5 studies were identified for inclusion in the meta-analysis to evaluate the role of pravastatin use prior to 20 weeks of gestation, to prevent pre-eclampsia, Pravastatin treatment reduced the incidence of preeclampsia by 61% and premature birth by 45%. Among the newborns, there was a 45% reduction in intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in the treated group, as well as a 77% reduction in those receiving neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions.
Prophylactic treatment with pravastatin appears to reduce risk of developing pre-eclampsia as well as potentially lowering risk of IUGR, preterm birth, and NICU admission in neonates.