Characteristics of Serum Lipid Metabolism among Women Complicated with Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Mainland China

Abstract

Background: Altered maternal serum lipid metabolism is associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP). However, its range in pregnancy and characteristic among different subgroups of HDPs are unclear.

Methods: Pregnant women with HDP who underwent antenatal care and delivered in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University during January 2018 to August 2022 were enrolled. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), apolipoprotein (Apo)-A, B, and E, free fatty acids (FFA), and small and dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL) were measured during 4-16 weeks and 28-42 weeks of pregnancy.

Results: A total of 2648 pregnant women were diagnosed with HDP, 1,880 of whom were enrolled for final analysis, including 983 (52.3%) preeclampsia (PE), 676 (36.0%) gestational hypertension (GH), and 221 (11.7%) chronic hypertension (CH). For all HDPs, serum TC, TG, LDLC, HDLC, Apo-A, Apo-B, Apo-E, and sdLDL increased significantly during pregnancy, while FFA decreased significantly. Notably, the levels of TC, LDLC, Apo-B, and sdLDL in PE group were equal to or lower than those in CH group at 4-16 weeks of pregnancy, but increased greatly during pregnancy (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Maternal serum lipid levels changed through pregnancy among women with HDPs. Women complicated with PE seem to have undergone a more significant serum lipid change compared to those with GH or CH.

Figure 1

Flowchart of participant enrollment.

Figure 2

Comparison of maternal serum lipid concentrations among women with PE, GH, and CH.