Lipid Profiles and Platelets Counts of Pre-eclamptic women in Selected Rural Areas of Northern Nigeria

Pre-eclampsia is one of the most common and potentially life-threatening complications of pregnancy. It affects five to eight percent of all pregnancies and is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and preterm delivery In North East and North western Nigeria, ignorance and misconception about the disease plays an imperative role in the effect of the diseases on women, like wise accurate, affordable and sufficient routine test to be use clinically to identify the disease in whom it may develop and effective intervention or approaches that help in reducing pre-eclampsia is unclear on unavailable in health centres, in Nigeria approximately 37,000 women die annually because of Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia related complication WHO (2004). Objective of the study is to study lipid profiles in women with pre-eclampsia in rural areas of northern Nigeria. The mean age among the three groups is 25.18±0.86 in Non Pregnant non hypertensive, 24.52±0.53 in pregnant non hypertensive and 24.03±0.65, there is also a significant difference in the mean Triglycerides SEM 4.21±0.89 of the pre-eclamptic group as compare to the other two groups which have lower means, No significant difference seen in the LDL, among the three groups, there were significant difference in the pre-eclamptic group urine specific gravity SEM of 1.127±0.007, platelets SEM of 0.46±0.34x105, and hemoglobin 1.34±0.001. Conclusion Pre-eclampsia is common in rural areas of Northern Nigeria due to presence of high risk factors in the study areas; this can be explained by the presence of high maternal mortality in the three states respectively. In summary, the findings reported in this research suggest that the women who develop pre-eclampsia had disturbed lipid profile due to abnormal lipid metabolism. Increased triglycerides levels and delayed triglycerides clearance, decrease High density lipoprotein, severe proteinuria of greater than 500mg in 24hrs urine or 3+ using dipstick and high blood pressure are the reasons for the development of preeclampsia. The findings in this study may be relevant for understanding the pathophysiology of Pre-eclampsia and the future treatment by lipid modifying regimens of this life-threatening condition. Recommendation In efforts to identify women with at risk of developing pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, a question about family history of pre-eclampsia should be included during antenatal clinics.