Increased platelet volume and aggregation precede the onset of preeclampsia

Objective: To determine whether changes in platelet aggregation, numbers, or mean volume precede the onset of preeclampsia in patients given anti-platelet therapy. Methods: Changes in platelet aggregation, numbers, and volumes were followed longitudinally in 17 women who had previously lost 44 of 56 pregnancies and were thus considered to be at risk of preeclampsia. The subjects were treated with low-dose aspirin. Mean platelet volume, platelet numbers, and platelet aggregation were monitored every 2-4 weeks during pregnancy. Results: All eight subjects who developed preeclampsia delivered growth-retarded infants before term