Body composition in second trimester is associated with dyslipidemia in third trimester

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Metabolic Health
• Prenatal Care

Background:

• Dyslipidemia during pregnancy can pose risks to both maternal and fetal health.
• Understanding factors influencing dyslipidemia is crucial for effective prenatal care.
• Maternal body composition is a modifiable factor that may impact pregnancy outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal body composition in the second trimester and the development of dyslipidemia in the third trimester.
• To identify specific maternal body composition parameters that correlate with increased risk of pregnancy-related dyslipidemia.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study involving 1508 pregnant women at Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital.
• Maternal body composition was assessed using bioimpedance analysis between 14 and 22 weeks of gestation.
• Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine associations between body composition and dyslipidemia.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of dyslipidemia (94.2%) was observed in the third trimester.
• Significant differences in body composition were found between women with and without dyslipidemia.
• Second-trimester BMI, total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW), extracellular water (ECW), percent body fat (PBF), visceral fat area (VFA), fat-free mass (FFM), and arm circumference (AC) were all associated with third-trimester dyslipidemia.

Conclusions:

• Maternal body composition during the second trimester is significantly associated with the occurrence of dyslipidemia in the third trimester.
• Specific parameters like BMI, PBF, and VFA are key indicators linking early pregnancy body composition to later dyslipidemia.
• These findings underscore the importance of monitoring maternal body composition for predicting and potentially preventing pregnancy-related dyslipidemia.