Evaluation of Serum Lipid Profile in Pregnancies Complicated by Pre-Eclampsia: A Hospital Based Study

Pre-eclampsia is themost common complication of pregnancy and is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific multisystem disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria that remits after delivery. Our aim was to compare the changes in lipid profile in normal pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia. The present study suggest that the woman who developed pre-eclampsia had altered lipid profile due to abnormal lipid metabolism. Pregnancy is associated with physiological hyperlipidemia. But abnormal increase in triglycerides, LDL, VLDL and total cholesterol contribute to promotion of oxidative stress and vascular dysfunction leading to pregnancy – induced hypertension.  Evaluation of blood lipid profile in pregnant women during early antenatal visits could be helpful in prediction and early detection of pre-eclampsia and thus preventing obstetric complications like eclampsia, antepartum haemorrhage, pretermlabour associated with pre-eclampsia.