Longitudinal changes in HDL-cholesterol concentration are associated with different risk factors in primiparous and nulliparous young women: The NHLBI Growth and Health Study (NGHS)

• Published in: Journal of clinical lipidology 2021-05, Vol.15 (3), p.488-499
• Main Authors: Woollett, Laura A., Urbina, Elaine M., Woo, Jessica G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Female; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Lipids; Longitudinal Studies; Low density lipoprotein; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S.); NGHS; Parity; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; United States; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1933-2874; 1876-4789
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacl.2021.03.004

•HDL-C decreases 4–5 mg/dl after a first pregnancy and can persist for 10 years.•Changes in HDL-C concentrations after pregnancy vary widely, −37 to +22 mg/dl.•HDL-C declines are related to age, birth control use and pre-pregnancy HDL-C.•HDL-C in nulliparous white, but not African-American, women increases over time. Previous studies report that first pregnancy is associated with persistent decreases in HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations. This study evaluated factors associated with declines in HDL-C concentration in parous and nulliparous young women. This study leverages data from African-American and white women from the NHLBI Growth and Health Study. Parity-related changes in lipids, BMI and percent body fat were assessed longitudinally. A subset of primiparous and nulliparous women with paired lipid measurements were analyzed regarding changes in HDL-C concentrations. Among 870 women in longitudinal analyses, African-American women had higher parity (p