Fasting plasma lipids in women of reproductive age: does pregnancy and glucose intolerance in pregnancy confer a risk

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare fasting plasma cholesterol (C) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in non-pregnant women of reproductive age with age matched pregnant women with and without glucose intolerance. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo. METHOD: Consecutive non-pregnant normal women seeking treatment for male infertility were recruited for assessment of fasting blood glucose, C and TG concentrations. Age matched pregnant women who underwent the 75g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) between 20 - 24 weeks of gestation based on identified risk factors for diabetes mellitus were recruited concurrently and their fasting plasma C and TG concentrations were measured. RESULTS: 45 consenting non-pregnant women and 95 consenting pregnant women referred for OGTT were recruited. All non-pregnant women had normal fasting blood glucose concentrations (mean 97.7 +/- 1.6 mg/dl). 50/95 pregnant women had normal OGTT and 45 had abnormal OGTT based on WHO criteria. The mean age of non- pregnant women was 33.2 +/- 2.1 and among pregnant women 30.2 +/- 1.2 (p = 0.07). Non-pregnant women had a fasting plasma C of 215 +/ -12 mg/dl and TG of 94.9 +/- 8.2. mg/dl. Pregnant women with normal OGTT vs. abnormal OGTT had fasting C 239.2 +/- 7.2 mg/dl vs. 218 +/- 17.2 mg/dl (p = 0.05); and fasting TG of201.6 +/- 8 mg/dl vs. 180.9 +/-11.3 mg/dl (p = 0.06). An ova single factor comparison of non-pregnant women and pregnant women with normal and abnormal OGTT revealed a significant elevation of fasting C and TG in normal pregnant women (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: A significant elevation of fasting C and TG concentrations occur in normal pregnancy; while abnormal glucose tolerance in pregnancy does not confer an additional risk on plasma lipid concentrations.