OBJECTIVE: To identify treatment options for hypercholesterolemia in pregnant women.

DATA SOURCES: A search was conducted of MEDLINE (1966-March 2004), EMBASE (1980–March 2004), and International
Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–March 2004). Key terms included fibric acid derivatives, plant stanol/sterols, niacin, ezetimibe, vitamin
E, LDL-apheresis, and fish oil.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: The articles evaluated described hypercholesterolemia during pregnancy and
lipid therapy options.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Elevated lipid levels in pregnant women may have a negative impact on the fetus. Case reports and clinical trials from 1966 to March 2004 were evaluated for information regarding the impact of various cholesterol-lowering agents on both the mother and fetus. These case reports and trials conclude that additional studies are needed to determine their overall safety in pregnant women.

CONCLUSIONS: Lipid-lowering therapies have differing levels of safety and efficacy and are not well studied in pregnant women.
Therefore, a diet low in cholesterol and fat is the recommended treatment for hypercholesterolemia during pregnancy.

J Pharm Technol 2005;21:258-61.

THIS ARTICLE IS APPROVED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT
ACPE UNIVERSAL PROGRAM NUMBER: 407-000-05-055-H01