Fewer than 1 in 4 pregnant women undergo lipid screening

NEW ORLEANS — Clinicians should be doing more lipid screening on pregnant women, according to a presentation at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.

Previous research suggests that high triglyceride levels in early pregnancy are associated with complications such as pregnancy induced-hypertension, preeclampsia, infants that are large for gestational age, and preterm birth.

“This study should be a call to action for us to encourage lipid screening in this population,” Dipika J. Gopal, MD, a fellow in the division of cardiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, told Healio Primary Care Today.

Gopal and colleagues found that 78% of 5,101 women who gave birth and attended a postpartum visit within 180 days after delivery had not undergone lipid screening. Women who were screened were more likely to be white, older and have hypertension, CAD and diabetes. For more details on Gopal’s study, please click here.

More information on lipid screening guidelines across various population cohorts can be found on the American College of Cardiology’s website at the link below. – by Janel Miller

For more information:

American College of Cardiology. “2018 Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol.” https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2018/11/09/14/28/2018-guideline-on-management-of-blood-cholesterol. Accessed March 19, 2019.

Gopal DJ, et al. Session 1276 – Prevention: Clinical 4. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Scientific Session; March 16-18, 2019; New Orleans.

Vrijkotte TG, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;doi:10.1210/jc.2012-1295.

Disclosures: Gopal reports no relevant financial disclosures.