Longitudinal changes in HDL-cholesterol concentration are associated with different risk factors in primiparous and nulliparous young women: The NHLBI Growth and Health Study (NGHS)

Abstract Background : Previous studies report that first pregnancy is associated with persistent decreases in HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations. Objective : This study evaluated factors associated with declines in HDL-C concentration in parous and nulliparous young women. Methods : This study leverages data from African-American and white women from the NHLBI Growth and Health Study. Parity-related changes in lipids, BMI and percent body fat were assessed longitudinally. A subset of primiparous and nulliparous women with paired lipid measurements were analyzed regarding changes in HDL-C concentrations. Results : Among 870 women in longitudinal analyses, African-American women had higher parity (p Conclusion : Persistent decreases in HDL-C concentration were associated with the first pregnancy, and were greater with higher initial HDL-C concentration. Racial differences in HDL-C concentration emerged over time in nulliparous women, but not primiparous women. Potential impacts of these findings on women's long-term cardiometabolic health should be evaluated.