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Lipid Profile in Infant
Ashok Kumar1, Kaushik Pandit2,3, Purushottam Chatterjee4
1KHIMS Super Speciality Hospital, Khammam, Telangana, India.
Insights
Infant lipid parameters, including triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol, change significantly after 4 weeks of age. These early lipid alterations may influence future cardiovascular disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric lipidology and cardiovascular disease risk assessment.
Background:
- Altered lipid parameters at birth are linked to later cardiovascular disease.
- Understanding early-life lipid profiles is crucial for preventative cardiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal lipid parameters in infants under 6 months.
- To compare lipid profiles between infants younger than 4 weeks and older than 4 weeks.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated lipid parameters in 61 infants under 6 months.
- Categorized infants into two age groups: ≤4 weeks and >4 weeks.
- Compared lipid parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol) between the two groups.
Main Results:
- Established normal lipid distribution for infants <6 months.
- Mean values: Total Cholesterol 126.2 ± 26.5, Triglycerides 149.1 ± 48.6, HDL-cholesterol 40.7 ± 14.6, LDL-cholesterol 69.4 ± 19.4 mg/dl.
- Significant differences observed in HDL-cholesterol (P=0.031) and triglycerides (P=0.030) between age groups; no significant difference in total cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol.
Conclusions:
- Infant lipid parameters, particularly triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol, show significant changes after 4 weeks of age.
- Mean lipid parameters in this cohort were more atherogenic than Western population norms.
- Early lipid changes highlight potential long-term cardiovascular implications.
Introduction:
Alteration in lipid parameters at birth has a strong association with the development of cardiovascular disease in later life.
Material And Methods:
Sixty-one infants below the age of 6 months underwent evaluation of lipid parameters. The infants studied were categorized into two groups of ≤4 and >4 weeks of age, wherein their lipid parameters were compared.
Results:
The normal distribution of lipid parameters of infants <6 months was generated. The mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol was 126.2 ± 26.5, 149.1 ± 48.6, 40.7 ± 14.6, and 69.4 ± 19.4 mg/dl, respectively. The total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol measured in ≤4 and >4 weeks of age groups were statistically not different (total cholesterol 125.0 ± 30.1 mg/dl vs 127.4 ± 23.4 mg/dl, P = 0.727, and LDL-cholesterol 66.0 ± 19.2 mg/dl vs 75.4 ± 21.2 mg/dl, P = 0.780). However, the HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides measured at ≤4 weeks versus >4 weeks age groups were statistically different (HDL-cholesterol 44.9 ± 17.2 mg/dl vs 36.9 ± 10.8 mg/dl, P = 0.031, and triglyceride 147.4 ± 60.2 mg/dl vs 186.5 ± 75.7 mg/dl, P = 0.030).
Conclusion:
The mean lipid parameters were significantly more atherogenic compared to the Western population. Triglyceride levels and HDL-cholesterol levels change significantly after 4 weeks of age compared to that observed before 4 weeks of age.
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