Atherogenic Index, Cardiovascular Risk Ratio, and Atherogenic Coefficient as Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Pre-eclampsia in Southeast Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia is a key trigger for maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Current evidence suggests an association between dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis. Thus, the importance of evaluating some indices of atherosclerosis during pregnancy cannot be over-emphasized. AIM: To evaluate the effect of some lipid profile indices as risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) among women with pre-eclampsia in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of two groups of eligible pregnant women between 20 and 40 weeks of gestation selected at three healthcare facilities in Enugu, Nigeria was carried out. The case group consisted of 160 women with pre-eclampsia, while the control group consisted of 160 normotensive pregnant women. Participants' fasting blood samples were analyzed for different fractions of lipids and their atherogenic indices were calculated. RESULTS: There were significantly higher mean levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglyceride (TG) [P < 0.001] in pre-eclampsia than in normal pregnancy. The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), cardiovascular risk ratio (CRR), and atherogenic coefficient (AC) were significantly higher in pre-eclampsia than in normal pregnancy (P < 0.001) and there was a significant positive correlation between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and AIP (r = 0.421), CRR (r = 0.416) and AC (r = 0.634) for women with pre-eclampsia. CONCLUSION: Pre-eclampsia is associated with an increased risk of CVDs. Determining the atherogenic indices and assessing the AIP level in pre-eclamptic women may predict disease risk and help in early management and measures for its prevention.