Small Dense Low-Density Lipoprotein (sdLDL) and Its Correlates among Pregnant Women in Juth

Small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL), an atherogenic LDL subfraction, raises cardiovascular risk and mortality. Pregnancy-induced hyperlipidemia supports fetal growth and alters lipoprotein metabolism, but data on sdLDL changes and correlations during pregnancy, especially in African populations, are limited. This study assessed sdLDL levels and their biochemical and biophysical associations among pregnant women at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

This cross-sectional study involved 190 pregnant women between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation who attended the metabolic clinic at JUTH. Fasting blood samples for sdLDL was quantified using the precipitation method of Hirano et al. Correlations between sdLDL and biochemical/biophysical parameters were assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficients, and group comparisons were performed between participants with high versus low sdLDL levels.

The mean (SD) age of participants was 31.0 ± 6.2 years, and the mean BMI was 30.7 ± 6.3 kg/m². sdLDL levels averaged 0.7 ± 0.5 mmol/L. sdLDL showed a significant positive correlation with LDL-C (r = 0.314, p < 0.001) and a significant negative correlation with HDL-C (r = -0.297, p < 0.001). No significant relationships were observed between sdLDL and triglycerides, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, or blood pressure parameters (p > 0.05). Women with high sdLDL had higher LDL-C [2.8 ± 0.9 vs 2.3 ± 0.8 mmol/L; p = 0.01] and lower HDL-C [1.1 ± 0.4 vs 1.3 ± 0.4 mmol/L; p < 0.01] compared to those with low sdLDL.

Among pregnant women in Jos, sdLDL was significantly associated with LDL-C but inversely with HDL-C, showing no relationship to glucose or blood pressure. This suggests sdLDL changes in pregnancy are tied to lipoprotein metabolism, not glycemic or hemodynamic shifts.