Lipid changes throughout pregnancy according to pre-pregnancy BMI: results from a prospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate of change in serum lipids and the factors associated with their variations, stratifying for pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) categories. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Public Health centre, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. POPULATION: Two hundred and twenty-five healthy pregnant women recruited between 2009 and 2011. METHODS: Women were evaluated during the three trimesters of pregnancy (5th-13th, 20th-26th and 30th-36th gestational weeks). Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m²) was classified as normal weight (NW = 18.5-24.9), overweight (OW = 25.0-29.9) or obese (OB ≥ 30.0). The independent variables included maternal socioeconomic, demographic, biochemical and lifestyle factors. We performed linear mixed-effects models adjusted for gestational age and body weight, reporting coefficient (ß) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Longitudinal total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c) and triglyceride (TG) measurements. RESULTS: OW and OB women presented higher mean TG, TC and LDL-c compared with their NW counterparts (P < 0.05). The mean HDL-c concentrations were higher in NW than in OB women (P = 0.03). OW and OB women presented lower serum TC (ßOW  = -0.014; 95% CI = -0.026 to -0.002; P = 0.022; ßOB  = -0.015; 95% CI -0.015 to 0.001; P = 0.066) and LDL-c (ßOW  = -0.012; 95% CI = -0.021 to -0.002; P = 0.017; ßOB  = -0.018; 95% CI = -0.031 to -0.005; P = 0.005) rates of change (mmol/l per gestational week) compared with the NW. Pre-gestational BMI was the main factor associated with the rate of changes in TC and LDL-c concentrations. CONCLUSION: Pre-pregnancy BMI was the main factor associated with the rate of change in TC and LDL-c throughout pregnancy, and OW and OB women presented lower rates of change compared with NW controls.

Differences in lipid profiles in two Hispanic ischemic stroke populations.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The study aims to compare lipid profiles among ischemic stroke patients in a predominantly Caribbean-Hispanic population in Miami and a Mestizo Hispanic population in Mexico City. METHODS: We analyzed ischemic stroke Hispanic patients with complete baseline fasting lipid profile enrolled contemporaneously in the prospective registries of two tertiary care teaching hospitals in Mexico City and Miami. Demographic characteristics, risk factors, medications, ischemic stroke subtype, and first fasting lipid profile were compared. Vascular risk factor definitions were standardized. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to compare lipid fractions. RESULTS: A total of 324 patients from Mexico and 236 from Miami were analyzed. Mexicans were significantly younger (58 · 1 vs. 67 · 4 years), had a lower frequency of hypertension (53 · 4% vs. 79 · 7%), and lower body mass index (27 vs. 28 · 5). There was a trend toward greater prevalence of diabetes in Mexicans (31 · 5 vs. 24 · 6%, P = 0 · 07). Statin use at the time of ischemic stroke was more common in Miami Hispanics (18 · 6 vs. 9 · 4%). Mexicans had lower total cholesterol levels (169 · 9 ± 46 · 1 vs. 179 · 9 ± 48 · 4 mg/dl), lower low-density lipoprotein (92 · 3 ± 37 · 1 vs. 108 · 2 ± 40 · 8 mg/dl), and higher triglyceride levels (166 · 9 ± 123 · 9 vs. 149 · 2 ± 115 · 2 mg/dl). These differences remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, body mass index, smoking, ischemic stroke subtype, and statin use. CONCLUSION: We found significant differences in lipid fractions in Hispanic ischemic stroke patients, with lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, and higher triglyceride levels in Mexicans. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of dyslipidemia among the Hispanic race-ethnic group and may lead to different secondary prevention strategies.