Serum cholesterol profile of some Nigerian pregnant women.

A semi-longitudinal study of the cholesterol profiles at various stages of pregnancy was conducted. The study involved 49 pregnant women who showed no physical signs of obesity, were neither hypertensive nor diabetic, and had a mean age of 24.7 +/- 4.5 (mean +/- SD). The results showed a progressive increase in the serum total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels from 4.02 +/- 0.39 mmol/L (mean +/- SD) and 1.81 +/- 0.15 mmol/L, respectively, at 3 months, to 5.59 +/- 0.51 mmol/L and 2.46 +/- 0.18 mmol/ in the ninth month of pregnancy. These represent a 39 +/- 11% and a 35 +/- 10% increase in total and HDL cholesterol, respectively, over the 3-month level. The levels of total and HDL cholesterol however decreased to 4.08 +/- 0.40 mmol/L and 1.89 +/- 0.17 mmol/L, respectively, a month after delivery. The most significant (P < 0.05) month to month increase was recorded between the 6th and the 7th month for both total and HDL cholesterol. The proportion of HDL cholesterol remained fairly constant at 43 +/- 3 to 45 +/- 4% throughout the period of pregnancy covered, and one month after delivery. This suggests a proportional increase in all lipoprotein fractions. It is concluded that the observed changes are normal physiological events.