Cholesterol in Pregnancy

High Cholesterol in Pregnancy

After an initial reduction, the rate of cholesterol in the blood (cholesterolemia) increases slightly during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, undergoing a significant increase starting from the fourth month.

Maximum cholesterol levels are reached around the eighth month and remain high throughout the gestation period. Therefore, during pregnancy, values ​​of total cholesterol NOT greater than 337 mg / dL can be considered absolutely normal.

Cholesterol functions

During pregnancy, cholesterol is essential for both maternal and fetal health. The young organism, in fact, has a strong need for cholesterol to develop properly, especially at the nervous level (this lipid stabilizes cell membranes, regulating fluidity and permeability). Not surprisingly, during pregnancy, the intake of lipid-lowering drugs such as statins is generally suspended or at least corrected, while hypolipidic diet and exercise continue to be the cornerstones of the fight against hypercholesterolemia.

The maternal organism, for its part, uses cholesterol as a base for the synthesis of steroid hormones and for the formation of growing tissue membranes.

Causes

At the basis of hypertriglyceridemia and pregnancy-related hypercholesterolemia there appears to be an increased concentration of estrogen combined with insulin resistance. Not surprisingly, cholesterol levels return to normal after 4-6 weeks after delivery, more rapidly in breast-feeding women.

Bibliography "Cholesterol in pregnancy": Basaran A., Pregnancy-induced Hyperlipoproteinemia: Review of the Literature 2009 May; 16 (5): 431-7.