WOMEN WITH LUPUS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS -- TWO RHEUMATIC DISEASES IN WHICH THE IMMUNE SYSTEM MISTAKENLY ATTACKS TISSUES IN THE BODY -- FACE AN INCREASED RISK OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS, ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY REPORTED BY REUTERS. INVESTIGATORS DR. ELIZA F. CHAKRAVARTY OF STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN PALO ALTO AND COLLEAGUES SAY THAT 'WOMEN WITH COMMON RHEUMATIC DISEASES APPEARED TO HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF ADVERSE OUTCOMES OF PREGNANCY AND SHOULD UNDERGO CAREFUL ANTENATAL MONITORING IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE ANY CONSEQUENCES.' THE RESEARCH TEAM LOOKED AT DATA FROM A 2002 NATIONWIDE INPATIENT SURVEY TO COMPARE RATES OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AMONG WOMEN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION AND THOSE WITH LUPUS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, AND OTHER CONDITIONS. AS THEY REPORT IN THE MEDICAL JOURNAL ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, THE RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT IN THE GENERAL POPULATION HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE PROBLEMS OCCURRED IN 7.8 PERCENT OF PREGNANCIES, WHILE 26.5 PERCENT OF DELIVERIES WERE CESAREAN. THE CORRESPONDING RATES FOR WOMEN WITH LUPUS WERE 23.2 PERCENT AND 39.4 PERCENT. --MORE 23 16 LOCAL TIME 20 16 GMT
