Fewer babies for women with high cholesterol

YOUNG women who have high cholesterol may struggle to have more than one child, research suggests.

A study of 4,300 women found those with too much ‘bad’ fat in the blood – either LDL cholesterol or triglycerides – had fewer children later in life.

They were up to twice as likely to have only one baby as those with healthy blood fat levels, the researchers found. And they were also slightly more likely to struggle to have any children at all.

The study, published in the BMJ Open journal, tracked Norwegian women aged 20 and over between 1994 and 2003.

The scientists took blood tests when the women had not yet conceived and then followed them up. They concluded that an ‘unhealthy’ blood fat profile of high LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and low levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, raised the risk of only getting pregnant once by between 20 and 100 per cent.

The researchers from the University of Bergen believe cholesterol and other fat creates ‘oxidative stress’ in the body, which reduces fertility.

The researchers said bad fats could trigger problems such as polycystic ovary syndrome.

Several major studies have revealed that women who have more babies are less likely to suffer heart disease in later life.

The Norwegian team say their findings may explain the phenomenon: rather than pregnancy protecting against heart disease, women at risk of heart disease are less likely to become pregnant.

‘Bad fats trigger problems’