Assessment of Serum Cholesterol Profile in Healthy Pregnant Sudanese Women

Abstract

Across sectional study conducted during the period from April to September 2012 . In this study, serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were estimated in 90 pregnant women during normal pregnancy (30 in first trimester, 30 in second trimesters, 30 in third trimesters) as a test group, and 40 apparently healthy non pregnant women included as a control group. The mean of the serum levels of total cholesterol were significantly increased in the pregnant group when compared with the control group ( P < 0.05 ). Whereas there was no significant difference between the means of the serum HDL-c and LDL-c of the pregnant group when compared with the control group ( P > 0.05 ). The comparison between the different trimesters of pregnancy for serum total cholesterol and LDL-c shows significant increase, but there is no significant increase for HDL-c. The study shows a moderate positive correlation between the serum levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein, and duration of pregnancy , and aweak ‫‪positive correlation between the serum level of high density‬‬ ‫.‪lipoprotein and duration of pregnancy‬‬ ‫‪This study concluded that total cholesterol and low‬‬ ‫‪density lipoprotein are increased in Sudanese pregnant‬‬ ‫‪women, whereas high density lipoprotein is not affected‬‬ ‫‪during pregnancy, and the serum level of total cholesterol‬‬ ‫‪and LDL-c have a moderate positive correlation with the‬‬ ‫.‪duration of pregnancy‬‬