Higher urinary protein excretion levels are associated with a greater 10-year risk of chronic kidney disease in women with pre-eclampsia, a Danish population-based cohort study has found.

Published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the study looked at more than 280,000 pregnant women, 9538 of whom developed pre-eclampsia.

Their urinary protein excretion (UPE) level was assessed using 24-hour albumin and protein excretion rate measurements, spot urine albumin–creatinine ratio or a dipstick.

Moderate or severe UPE was defined as trace or greater protein urine dipstick result, an albumin excretion rate of at least 30mg/24 hours, a urine protein excretion rate of at least 150mg/24 hours or a urine albumin–creatinine ratio of at least 30mg/g (≥3mg/mmol).