Key result
Pregnancy links to higher lipids but yields a ~0.8-point lower TC/HDL cardiac risk ratio.
Why the study?
Changes in lipid metabolism occur during pregnancy and abnormal lipid metabolism is linked to atherosclerosis, motivating this investigation into how pregnancy affects the lipid profile and potential predisposition to atherosclerosis in Nigerian women.
Observational (n=120)
No
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Pregnancy lipid changes may signal atherosclerosis risk in Nigerian women; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
BACKGROUND: Changes in lipid metabolism have been shown to occur during pregnancy, to ensure a continuous supply of nutrients to the growing fetus, despite intermittent maternal food intake. Abnormal lipid metabolism has also been linked to atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of pregnancy on the lipid profile and possible predisposition of pregnant Nigerian women to atherosclerosis. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Serum lipid and lipoprotein levels of 60 apparently healthy pregnant women aged between 25 and 45 years, attending the antenatal clinic of the U.N.T.H, Enugu and 60 apparently healthy non-pregnant, age-matched females (controls) were estimated. The test samples were collected from each subject at each of the trimesters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride (TG) were analyzed using enzymatic/spectrophotometric methods while low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) were calculated using Friedewald's formula. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The data obtained were analyzed with Students' t-test and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation, using graph pad prism software program and results expressed as mean ± SD. The level of significance was determined at 95% confidence level. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The serum lipid levels were significantly higher (P<0.05) in all the trimesters of the pregnant women than in the controls. There was a steady increase in the serum lipid levels with increasing gestational age. A significant positive correlation (P<0.05) was observed between the lipid fractions and the different trimesters of pregnancy. TC/HDL was decreased significantly (P<0.05) in pregnant women, with increasing gestational age. Cardiac risk factor, however, decreased with gestational age, signifying possible protection from atherosclerosis. A comparison of two age groups of pregnant women (25-34 years and 35-45 years) showed no significant differences (P>0.05) in all the lipid fractions studied, suggesting no possible age-related effect on lipid metabolism in the women in their first trimester. Even with significant increase in plasma lipid during pregnancy, normal pregnancy in Nigerian women does not appear to increase the risk.
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Neboh et al. (2012) conducted an observational in Pregnancy and atherosclerosis risk (lipid metabolism) (n=120). Pregnancy (first, second, and third trimesters) vs. Non-pregnant age-matched women was evaluated on Third-trimester cardiac risk factor (Total Cholesterol / High-Density Lipoprotein [TC/HDL] ratio) (p=<0.05). Pregnancy in Nigerian women significantly increased serum lipid levels across trimesters compared to non-pregnant controls (P<0.05), but reduced the TC/HDL cardiac risk ratio to 3.64 vs 4.44 (P<0.05).
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