Gestational hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in Vietnam: Prevalence, dietary correlates, and neonatal...

To estimate the prevalence of gestational hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia among pregnant women in Vietnam, identify associated maternal and dietary factors, and examine associations with neonatal anthropometric outcomes.

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 310 pregnant women attending antenatal care and delivery registration at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hanoi (September 2024-January 2025). Maternal sociodemographic, obstetric, anthropometric, dietary habit data and lipid profiles were obtained from structured interviews and medical records. Hypercholesterolemia was defined as total cholesterol ≥7.74 mmol/L and hypertriglyceridemia as triglycerides ≥4.32 mmol/L (pregnancy-specific thresholds). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with lipid abnormalities. Neonatal outcomes were extracted from delivery records and compared by maternal lipid status.

At a mean gestational age of 36.4 ± 1.9 weeks, the mean (SD) values for total cholesterol and triglycerides were 6.60 (1.28) mmol/L and 3.45 (1.41) mmol/L, respectively. The prevalences of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and gestational lipid abnormality were 16.8%, 19.7%, and 31.3%, respectively. Butter consumption ≥1 time/week was independently associated with hypercholesterolemia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-8.64) and gestational lipid abnormality (aOR 4.01; 95% CI 1.61-10.6). Maternal age > 24 years was associated with gestational lipid abnormality (aOR 3.59; 95% CI 1.16-15.8). Neonates of mothers with gestational lipid abnormality had a higher prevalence of low birth weight than those without (5.2% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.013).

Gestational lipid abnormality was common in late pregnancy in this Vietnamese cohort. Although statistically significant, the absolute number of low birth weight infants was small (5.2%, n = 5 in the exposed group vs. 0.5%, n = 1 in the unexposed group; Fisher's exact p = 0.013); these findings require replication in larger prospective cohorts. Nevertheless, the present results support consideration of maternal lipid monitoring and targeted dietary counseling during pregnancy.