Heart drug could treat pre-eclampsia

GALVESTON, Texas, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Texas researchers are testing the heart drug Digibind as a possible cure for pre-eclampsia.

Doctors at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston say the heart drug, which has been around for more than 20 years, may delay delivery in expectant mothers with the life-threatening disorder.

Pre-eclampsia is the most common and dangerous pregnancy complication, affecting as many as eight in every 100 pregnant women.

"Pre-eclampsia is the No. 1 killer of pregnant women in the world, and there is no cure except delivery," Dr. George Saade, chief of maternal–fetal medicine at UTMB, said Friday in a release.

The clinical trial will test whether Digibind reverses or prevents the abnormalities that occur with pre-eclampsia and allows the fetus to remain in the womb longer -- giving doctors more time to administer steroids to prevent respiratory complications in premature births.