Serum Insulin and Lipid Profile in Normal Pregnant and Pregnancy‐Induced Hypertensive Women from North India

Abstract

High serum insulin and lipoproteins have been reported in pregnancy-induced hypertension. Little is known about the insulin and lipoprotein profile in Indian women. To address this question we compared serum insulin and lipoproteins of women with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and normotensive pregnant women. The serum insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol of 104 women with PIH were compared with 99 control women. Hypertensive women had significantly higher insulin (53.94 +/- 29.58 versus 37.69 +/- 17.39 pmol/L, p=0.0004) and triglyceride (3.27 +/- 1.2 versus 2.66 +/- 0.6, p=0.0001). There was no significant difference in total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels. Insulin levels had a positive correlation with systolic blood pressure (r=0.64) and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.55) in women with PIH. These differences persisted even after adjusting for possible confounding variables such as age, body mass index and the period of gestation. We conclude that elevated serum insulin values or insulin resistance may contribute to the pathogenesis of PIH in Indian women.

Hypertension in pregnancy

“…81 The triglyceride, fatty acid and LDL cholesterol changes are accentuated but HDL reduced in PE. 68,82 Changes in fatty acids and triglycerides antedate clinically evident PE. 83 It is not known if they antedate pregnancy.…”

Pre–eclampsia and dyslipidaemia a case control study: an experience of tertiary healthcare centre in central India

“…Different parameters of lipid profile of pre-eclampsia patients in different studies shows same pattern as seen (Table 4 &5). Pre-eclampsia is a complex patho physiological process where regulatory systems of inflammation and endothelial function are stimulated beyond the physiological limits of normal pregnancy [21]. Abnormal lipid metabolism is also involved in pathogenesis of disease [22].…”

“…Abnormal lipid metabolism is also involved in pathogenesis of disease [22]. If pre-eclampsia is multi causal disease, then TG-related vasculopathy may be one possible etiological factor [21]. Women with preeclampsia have higher levels of circulating serum triglycerides which is an essential step in lipid mediated endothelialdys function.…”