A wide range of triglyceride levels is sufficient for fetal growth at gestational weeks 12-16, but higher triglyceride levels are associated with gestational hypertension.

OBJECTIVES

To learn whether and how lipid levels are associated with gestational hypertension and fetal growth in normal pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN

In a case-control study course, 464 patients with gestational hypertension were pooled into a case group; a total of 1077 women with full-term pregnancies and no pregnancy complications were selected as controls. In a cross-sectional study, whether maternal lipid levels were associated with fetal growth were evaluated in 1077 healthy controls.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Maternal lipids and glucose levels and fetal measurements.

RESULTS

Maternal levels of triglyceride (TG) were significantly higher in the case group than in controls at gestational weeks 12-16. Levels of TG, total cholesterol (TC) and low-densitylipoprotein (LDL-C) in control mothers increased gradually and significantly with increasing gestational week, however, these lipid concentrations lost these steady elevating trends with gestational week increases in the cases. Binary logistic regression showed that TG is a risk factor associated with hypertension at gestational weeks 12-16 and independent to maternal blood levels of LDL-C and glucose. Of the healthy mothers at gestational weeks 12-16, quantile regression showed that TG levels were not associated with real-time fetal growth measurements or final birthweight. The reference standards for maternal TG levels were estimated via the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles by gestational week.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal TG levels are associated with gestational hypertension, and a wide range of TG levels is sufficient for fetal growth within a given gestational week.