Ahmed A, Williams DJ, Cheed V, et al. - In view of the observed elevated circulating levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) in women with preeclampsia and efficacy of statins in reducing sFlt-1 from cultured cells and improving pregnancy outcome in animals with a preeclampsia-like syndrome, researchers examined how pravastatin affect plasma sFlt-1 levels during preeclampsia. In 15 UK maternity units, they assigned 62 women with early-onset preeclampsia (24⁺⁰ - 31⁺⁶ weeks' gestation) to receive pravastatin 40 mg daily (n = 30) or matched placebo (n = 32), from randomization to childbirth. Outcomes yielded no evidence indicating the efficacy of pravastatin in lowering maternal plasma sFlt-1 levels once early-onset preeclampsia had developed. No adverse perinatal effects were observed with pravastatin.