# Values of First and Early Third Trimesters Serum Lipid Profile in the Prediction of Preeclampsia: A Cohort Study: Preeclampsia and Lipid Profiles

## TL;DR

This study shows that lipid levels in early pregnancy can predict preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific lipid profile thresholds in early pregnancy that can predict preeclampsia risk.

## Key findings

- Lipid levels like TG, TC, LDL, and LDL/HDL ratio significantly increase with gestational age in preeclampsia cases.
- Adjusted odds ratios show these lipid levels are strongly associated with higher preeclampsia risk.
- Optimal cut-off points for lipid levels in first and early third trimesters were identified for preeclampsia prediction.

## Abstract

The global prevalence of hypertensive pregnancy disorders (HPDs) is5.2%-8.2%. Lipid profiles made up of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL) could affect the arterial vessel wall leading to HPDs. Preeclampsia (PE), among the most severe maternal-fetal HPDs, has affected 0.2%-9.2% of all pregnancies. The current study aimed to investigate the role of lipid profiles in predicting PE in the first and early third trimesters of pregnancy.

A large-scale prospective cohort study was conducted from early pregnancy onward in a normal population in the south of Iran. Fasting blood samples were examined for TG, TC, HDL, and LDL, as well as LDL/HDL ratio levels in the first and early third trimesters.

Of 486 pregnant women, 37 women developed HPDs, of which 20 (54%) developed PE. In the PE group, the levels of serum lipid profiles, including TG, TC, LDL, and HDL significantly raised with gestational age (P0.05). After adjusting for maternal age and body mass index, TG, TC, LDL, and LDL/HDL ratio levels were associated with a higher risk of PE (odds ratio [OR]=1.025, 1.035, 1.03, 2.08, and 1.026, 1.044, 1.03, 2.14, P0.001) regarding the first and early third trimesters, respectively. The optimum cut-off points for TG, TC, LDL, and LDL/HDL ratios predicting PE were estimated to be180.5 mg/dl, 197.5 mg/dl, 136 mg/dl, and 3.66 in the first, and 220 mg/dl, 204 mg/dl, 155.5 mg/dl, and 3.97 in the early third trimesters.

Dyslipidemia during pregnancy may help predict PE development that can be sustained with lipid-lowering drugs.