Authors : L.A. Olatunji , A.O. Soladoye , A.A. Fawole , R.O. Jimoh and V.A. Olatunji
Abstract: Abnormal haemorheology has been shown to be in almost all conditions associated with accelerated atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorders. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that high concentration of plasma Triglyceride (TG) predicts altered hemorheological variables in normal pregnancy. Sixty pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital at 14-36 weeks of gestation (aged 21-36 years) were recruited after giving informed consent to participate in the study. They consisted of 28 primigravidae and 32 multigravidae. Twenty-four healthy non-pregnant women of similar age and socioeconomical status were also recruited. The study showed that fasting plasma Triglyceride (TG) increased significantly in primigravidae and multigravidae. There was a positive correlation between plasma TG level and blood viscosity (r = 0.36, p<0.01). TG also correlated positively with haematocrit (r = 0.48, p<0.001), haemoglobin concentration (r = 0.43, p<0.001) and white blood cell count (r = 0.38, p<0.01) in the pregnant group as a whole. In primigravidae, there was a correlation between TG and blood viscosity (r = 0.63, p<0.001), hematocrit (r = 0.88, p<0.001), haemoglobin concentration (r = 0.85, p<0.001), white blood cell count (r = 0.40, p<0.05) and total serum protein (r = 0.37, p<0.05). However, there was an insignificant correlation between TG and the haemorheological variables in multigravidae. The study suggests that plasma TG concentration in primigravidae is strongly associated with blood viscosity and its main determinant, haematocrit as well as white blood cell count and haemoglobin concentration, but the association is lost in multigravidae. Therefore, TG could be considered as an important potential indicator of altered blood rheology in primigravidae, but not in multigravidae.
L.A. Olatunji , A.O. Soladoye , A.A. Fawole , R.O. Jimoh and V.A. Olatunji , 2008. Association between Plasma Triglyceride and Haemorheological Variables in Nigerian Primigravidae and Multigravidae. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 2: 116-120.