Lipid Profile of Healthy Women During Normal Pregnancy

Abstract

Lipid Profile of Healthy Women During Normal PregnancyThe four basic lipid indexes (Chol, Trig, HDL-C and LDL-C) increase during pregnancy, following different rates of increase. Among the four analytes triglycerides show the largest increase and HDL-C the smallest. All analyte values are raised during the 40 weeks of pregnancy, except HDL-C which is stabilized during the second trimester. After delivery the values decrease, except LDL-C which remains steady (for some weeks) before starting to fall following the others. In this study the relations between the four lipid indexes and some predisposing factors (age, gestational age, nationality, body mass index, profession, smoking and diabetes during pregnancy) were investigated. The sample consisted of 413 pregnant women, mainly Greeks and Albanians. After regression analysis it was proved that the only common predisposing factor was the gestational age. Triglycerides and total cholesterol are also influenced by the women's age. The lipid indexes showed no important difference between the pregnant women in the first trimester and the non-pregnant women. On the contrary, there was a statistical difference between the pregnant women in the second and third trimester and between them and the women in the first trimester. The percentages of increase between first and second trimester were: Chol: 38%, Trig: 115%, HDL-C: 30%, LDL-C: 33%. The percentages of increase between first and third trimester were: Chol: 65%, Trig: 208%, HDL-C: 26%, LDLC: 64%.

Metabolic profiling of pregnancy: cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence

“…Observational studies have reported that decreased circulating glucose and increased triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol as well as insulin are associated with pregnancy [1, 5–7]. Our results here confirm these metabolic changes in pregnant women and their change patterns and effect sizes with respect to the trimesters.…”

“…Metabolic adaptation to pregnancy has been widely studied with respect to glucose metabolism and standard lipids [1, 5–7]. Observational studies have reported that decreased circulating glucose and increased triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol as well as insulin are associated with pregnancy [1, 5–7].…”

“…In addition to glucose, there is evidence that circulating lipids and amino acids are also important nutrients for the fetus [1, 2]. During the third trimester, maternal circulating lipid concentrations dramatically increase, with triglycerides being elevated by approximately twofold, and total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by some 30–50% [1, 5–7]. Maternal circulating amino acid concentrations are also suggested to be altered largely in response to increased protein synthesis for placental and fetal growth [8].…”

A proposed method to predict preterm birth using clinical data, standard maternal serum screening, and cholesterol

“…There exists a plausible biological link for low cholesterol change being related to PTB. Progesterone, a hormone essential to pregnancy maintenance, and cholesterol levels both rise throughout pregnancy 21,22 and cholesterol is the precursor to progesterone synthesis. 10 Further investigation into the role of cholesterol and progesterone interventions during pregnancy, especially in longitudinal studies, is warranted.…”

Estudio exploratorio de marcadores plasmáticos del estado redox y perfil lipídico en gestantes adolescentes atendidas en una consulta prenatal pública de la ciudad de San Felipe, Venezuela

“…Tal comportamiento se correspondió con lo descrito previamente (6,20,26,27) y refleja la etapa catabólica que tiene lugar en el último tercio del embarazo, cuando la grasa acumulada en el primer semestre se metaboliza, dando lugar a una hipertrigliceridemia materna que resulta del efecto lipolítico promovido por el incremento de hormonas como el estrógeno y también por la pérdida de sensibilidad a la insulina que ocurre en el embarazo avanzado (28). La única modificación en el perfil lipídico que no se confirmó en ambos grupos de gestantes estudiados fue el aumento de las concentraciones de HDLc entre un trimestre y otro, como ya se ha informado previamente en venezolanas (20,29) y chilenas (6), aunque si se observó elevación de dicha fracción respecto del grupo control de no embarazadas.…”