Several studies indicate that maternal nutrition is an important factor contributing to a favorable environment for fetal development and for the control of what is now called “early programming”. This programming is understood as the effect caused by environmental variables and the adverse maternal environment during gestation and perinatal life, which can influence the development of the fetus and the risk of developing various metabolic, neurodevelopmental and immunological diseases, among others, in adulthood.
The research, led by Andrea Leiva from Universidad San Sebastián, and Sebastián Illanes, principal investigator of IMPACT and professor at Universidad de los Andes, is oriented to the search for a treatment for maternal supraphysiological hypercholesterolemia or HSPM through the use of extra virgin olive oil.
According to the researchers, an indicator higher than 280 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dl) of blood in pregnancy corresponds to HSPM, which is associated with placental vascular dysfunction, increased maternal, placental and neonatal oxidative stress, altered placental cholesterol trafficking, increased early atherosclerotic lesions in neonates, as well as increased cardiovascular risk in adults born from pregnancies with this condition.
“The usual treatment for high cholesterol is by statin drugs, which are contraindicated in pregnancy. Several studies show that supplementation with extra virgin olive oil has been associated with improved oxidative status and vascular function in non-pregnant and pregnant populations. That is why our research aims to determine the effects of nutritional supplementation with extra virgin olive oil during pregnancy in women with PMHS, evaluating the lipoprotein profile and markers of vascular function in the mother and newborns,” explains Leiva.
The clinical study will be conducted in women at 27 weeks of gestation with follow-up until delivery, who will be given specific doses of a specific extra virgin olive oil produced in Chile, which has a higher concentration of phenolic compounds compared to other varieties.
“For many years we thought that the increase in cholesterol during pregnancy, which is related to the production of sexual hormones, preferably progesterone by the placenta, did not represent a major risk. Today, there is sufficient evidence to show that this is not the case. Advancing in the search for a treatment to reverse this condition is fundamental, not only for the mother, but also for hundreds of girls and boys whose health may be conditioned throughout their lives”, assures Dr. Illanes.