Study links pre-pregnancy cholesterol and other biomarkers to higher odds of hypertensive disorders in first-time mothers.
A large-scale study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed data from 35,189 first-time mothers in Sweden to explore the connection between pregestational cardiometabolic biomarkers and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP).
Blood samples were collected from participants a median of 4-6 years before their first completed pregnancy. Of the group, 5.5% went on to develop HDP.
Researchers found that women with higher levels of several biomarkers had significantly increased odds of HDP. These included total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, haptoglobin, and the triglyceride-glucose index.
For example, the highest quartile of total cholesterol was associated with 23% higher odds of HDP, while apolipoprotein B showed a 90% increase in odds.
The findings suggest that subtle metabolic changes present years before pregnancy may serve as early indicators of future risk.
However, the authors note important limitations. The study included only first-time mothers, and the analyses were exploratory in nature. Further research is needed to confirm these associations.