Call to action for a life course approach

High fasting plasma glucose in early pregnancy and increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Chinese women: the role of gestational age

AIMS

To identify any cut-off point to define hyperglycemia and optimal gestational time for hyperglycemia screening in early pregnancy.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of 19,134 pregnant women was established in Tianjin, China. The primary outcome was a composite of pregnancy-induced hypertension, macrosomia, large for gestational age (LGA), preterm birth, perinatal death and Apgar score at 1 min < 7. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was performed to test non-linear associations of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and gestational age at FPG measurement with composite adverse pregnancy outcome (CAPO). Additive interactions were used to test different effects of FPGs on CAPO by gestational age in early pregnancy.

RESULTS

FPG 5.1-6.9 mmol/L before 20 gestational weeks was associated with significantly increased risks of CAPO, macrosomia and LGA (adjusted ORs: 1.18, 95 %CIs: 1.09-1.29; 1.28, 1.15-1.44; 1.27, 1.15-1.41, respectively) with a discernible threshold. The risk associations persisted after excluding women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) at 24-28 gestational weeks. More importantly, FPG 5.1-6.9 mmol/L at 9-19 weeks but not before 9 weeks of gestation was associated with increased risk of CAPO, macrosomia and LGA, with significant additive interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Early GDM could be defined as FPG 5.1-6.9 mmol/L at 9-19 gestational weeks among Chinese pregnant women.

The long-term general practice healthcare of women with a history of gestational diabetes: A Scoping Review Protocol

Introduction

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a hyperglycaemic condition diagnosed during pregnancy. GDM is strongly associated with future development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle and pharmacological interventions can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. General practice is the recommended setting for long-term follow-up of women with a history of GDM. However, rates of follow-up are suboptimal. The evidence around long-term general practice healthcare for women with a history of GDM has not previously been reviewed.

Aims

The aim of this scoping review is to explore the current evidence base for the long-term care of women with a history of GDM in general practice.

Study Design

The study described by this protocol is a scoping review. The study design was informed by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.

Methods

Empirical qualitative and quantitative research studies published since 2014 will be identified from a search of the following databases: MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Elsevier), CINAHL, PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete and SocIndex. The review will identify key characteristics of the literature. Framework analysis will be used to map the findings against the Chronic Care Model, a primary care-based framework that sets out the core components for optimal long-term healthcare.

Results

A numerical descriptive summary (using frequencies) will describe the overall extent of literature, and the range and distribution of its component parts, including the geographical and economic settings, research methods, interventions, outcomes and findings. The qualitative analysis will map interventions and descriptions of care to components of the chronic care model. Research gaps will be reported, and research needs and priorities will be suggested.

Conclusion

The findings of this scoping review will have the potential to inform future research efforts in the area.

Registration

This protocol has been registered in Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/bz2vh).

Universal screening for hyperglycemia in early pregnancy and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate the screening outcomes in women with hyperglycemia in early pregnancy (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] 5.1-6.9 mmol/L and/or HbA1c 39-46 mmol/mol before 20 weeks of gestation).

METHODS

This multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted in China between 2016 and 2022. In our setting, all women without pregestational diabetes performed both FPG and HbA1c screening at the first prenatal visit. Logistic regression models adjusted for confounders were performed to assess the associations of hyperglycemia in early pregnancy with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Subgroup analyses were explored according to the subsequent diagnosis of gestational diabetes (GDM, with or without).

RESULTS

Of the 42,999 women in the analysis, 2515 (5.8%) women had hyperglycemia in early pregnancy. Compared with women with normal FPG and HbA1c levels, women with FPG 5.1-6.9 mmol/L and/or HbA1c 39-46 mmol/mol had a 3-fold increased risk of GDM (aOR 3.85; 95% CI 3.52-4.20), and 1-fold higher risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (1.42; 1.20-1.67), shoulder dystocia (1.30; 1.11-1.52), preterm birth (1.30; 1.11-1.52), large-for-gestational-age (1.26; 1.12-1.43), and macrosomia (1.43; 1.19-1.73). Women with hyperglycemia in early pregnancy complicated by GDM were associated with a 50%, 84%, 48% and 24% increase in the odds of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (1.50; 1.21-1.84), preterm premature rupture of membranes (1.84; 1.09-3.10), preterm birth (1.48; 1.22-1.81) and large-for-gestational-age (1.24; 1.05-1.45), respectively, compared with those without hyperglycemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with hyperglycemia in early pregnancy have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and women with these conditions complicated by GDM are at higher risk than those without. Further research is needed to explore whether the incidence of GDM can be reduced by early intervention and therefore prevent the relevant adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Risk-Prioritised Versus Universal Medical Nutrition Therapy for Gestational Diabetes: A Retrospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND

The optimal application of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) in treating gestational diabetes remains uncertain. MNT involves individualised nutrition assessment and counselling, which is labour-intensive and is not the sole type of intervention offered by clinical dietitians.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether pregnancy outcomes differed for individuals with gestational diabetes who were offered MNT on a risk-prioritised (RP) versus universal basis.

METHODS

Observational data from two cohorts of individuals who were offered MNT only if they met the high-risk criteria following general group-based dietary education (RP1, n = 369; RP2, n = 446) were compared with a baseline cohort who were universally offered at least one MNT consultation (UM, n = 649). The RP1 cohort were seen during community-wide COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, while RP2 were seen after restrictions had lifted in 2022. Furthermore, the RP approach primarily utilised telemedicine, while the UM approach was delivered in person.

RESULTS

MNT consultations halved under the RP approach (59 vs. 119 sessions per 100 diagnoses for RP2 vs. UM) and saved more than 20 h of dietitian time per 100 diagnoses (95 vs. 73 h for RP2 vs. UM). No significant increases were observed (p < 0.05) for any pregnancy outcomes in the RP cohorts compared with the UM cohort, including usage of diabetes medications, maternal weight gain below and above target, early deliveries, induced deliveries, emergency caesarean sections, large- and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, infant macrosomia, neonatal hypoglycaemia and neonatal intensive care admissions. The use of both basal insulin (27% vs. 33%, OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.84) and metformin (6% vs. 10%, OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.88) was lower in the RP1 cohort during pandemic restrictions compared with the UM cohort; however, these differences were not retained in the RP2 cohort. Additionally, there were fewer SGA infants under the RP approach, particularly for the RP2 cohort (6% vs. 11% for RP2 vs. UM, OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Risk-prioritised MNT was a more efficient dietetic service approach to gestational diabetes than the universal MNT model, with comparable pregnancy outcomes. Similar approaches may represent a strategic way to address sustainable health service planning amidst the rising global prevalence of this condition. However, further research is needed to investigate consumer perspectives, wider service impacts and post-partum maternal and child health outcomes.

Challenging the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Clinical Practice Update on Screening for Pre-existing Diabetes and Early Gestational Diabetes

A recent American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Clinical Practice Update continues to recommend targeted (as opposed to universal) screening for pregestational diabetes, no longer recommends screening for early gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and provides updated guidelines for immediate postpartum testing for diabetes in patients with GDM. Here, we present data that the targeted screening paradigm, which has repeatedly been shown to fail in practice because of its complexity, no longer makes sense in the context of the high and rising prevalence of diabetes and diabetic risk factors, and we argue that the time has come for universal early pregnancy screening for pregestational diabetes. Furthermore, the recommendation against early screening for GDM is based on 2021 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidance, which in turn is based almost entirely on a single underpowered study that excluded individuals at highest risk and does not account for more recent research showing benefits of early diagnosis and treatment. Universal early pregnancy screening for pregestational diabetes may also help to identify patients at risk who will benefit from early GDM diagnosis and treatment and may provide rationale for prioritizing postpartum diabetes testing.

Comparative risk of type 2 diabetes development between women with gestational diabetes and women with impaired glucose tolerance over two decades: a multiethnic prospective cohort in New Zealand

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the long-term risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with those with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Using data from a primary care dataset linked with multiple health registries, this longitudinal study analyzed demographics, clinical data, and lifestyle factors of women diagnosed with GDM or IGT, assessing T2D incidence over 25 years, using Cox regression models.

RESULTS

Women with GDM, especially those over 35 years of Māori ethnicity, or socioeconomic deprivation, exhibited an elevated risk of T2D compared with those with IGT. The first 5 years post partum emerged as a critical window for intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the importance of early, targeted post-GDM interventions to mitigate T2D risk. It highlights the necessity of personalized post-GDM interventions to reduce T2D incidence which consider age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status to maximize effectiveness.

Postpartum dysglycaemia after early gestational diabetes: Follow-up of women in the TOBOGM randomised controlled trial

AIM

To evaluate the incidence and predictors of postpartum dysglycaemia among high-risk women who develop early gestational diabetes (eGDM) prior to 20 weeks' gestation.

METHODS

This is a sub-study of the Treatment of Booking Gestational Diabetes (TOBOGM) Study, a randomised controlled trial of early or deferred treatment for women with risk factors for gestational diabetes diagnosed with eGDM, using current WHO criteria. Overt diabetes in pregnancy was excluded. A repeat oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) was recommended at 6-12 weeks postpartum.

RESULTS

Of 793 participants, 352 (44.4%) underwent a postpartum oGTT. Baseline characteristics of participants with and without an oGTT were similar. Ninety-two (26.1%) had postpartum dysglycaemia: 11 (3.1%) diabetes, 31 (8.8%) impaired fasting glucose (IFG), 39 (11.1%) impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 11 (3.1%) combined IFG/IGT. Participants with postpartum dysglycaemia were more likely to have had past GDM, lower body mass index, more gestational weight gain, and higher 1 and 2-hour glucose concentrations on the early pregnancy oGTT. On logistic regression, higher 1 and 2-hour glucose concentration, previous GDM and greater gestational weight gain were independently associated with postpartum dysglycaemia.

CONCLUSION

There is a high incidence of postpartum dysglycaemia among high-risk women with eGDM.

Epidemiology and management of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is defined as hyperglycaemia first detected during pregnancy at glucose concentrations that are less than those of overt diabetes. Around 14% of pregnancies globally are affected by gestational diabetes; its prevalence varies with differences in risk factors and approaches to screening and diagnosis; and it is increasing in parallel with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes direct costs are US$1·6 billion in the USA alone, largely due to complications including hypertensive disorders, preterm delivery, and neonatal metabolic and respiratory consequences. Between 30% and 70% of gestational diabetes is diagnosed in early pregnancy (ie, early gestational diabetes defined by hyperglycaemia before 20 weeks of gestation). Early gestational diabetes is associated with worse pregnancy outcomes compared with women diagnosed with late gestational diabetes (hyperglycaemia from 24 weeks to 28 weeks of gestation). Randomised controlled trials show benefits of treating gestational diabetes from 24 weeks to 28 weeks of gestation. The WHO 2013 recommendations for diagnosing gestational diabetes (one-step 75 gm 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks of gestation) are largely based on the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Study, which confirmed the linear association between pregnancy complications and late-pregnancy maternal glycaemia: a phenomenon that has now also been shown in early pregnancy. Recently, the Treatment of Booking Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (TOBOGM) trial showed benefit in diagnosis and treatment of early gestational diabetes for women with risk factors. Given the diabesity epidemic, evidence for gestational diabetes heterogeneity by timing and subtype, and advances in technology, a life course precision medicine approach is urgently needed, using evidence-based prevention, diagnostic, and treatment strategies.

Pathophysiology from preconception, during pregnancy, and beyond

Gestational diabetes is the most common medical complication in pregnancy. Historically, gestational diabetes was considered a pregnancy complication involving treatment of rising glycaemia late in the second trimester. However, recent evidence challenges this view. Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy-specific factors influence gestational glycaemia, with open questions regarding roles of non-glycaemic factors in the aetiology and consequences of gestational diabetes. Varying patterns of insulin secretion and resistance in early and late pregnancy underlie a heterogeneity of gestational diabetes in the timing and pathophysiological subtypes with clinical implications: early gestational diabetes and insulin resistant gestational diabetes subtypes are associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complications. Metabolic perturbations of early gestational diabetes can affect early placental development, affecting maternal metabolism and fetal development. Fetal hyperinsulinaemia can affect the development of multiple fetal tissues, with short-term and long-term consequences. Pregnancy complications are prevented by managing glycaemia in early and late pregnancy in some, but not all women with gestational diabetes. A better understanding of the pathophysiology and heterogeneity of gestational diabetes will help to develop novel management approaches with focus on improved prevention of maternal and offspring short-term and long-term complications, from pre-conception, throughout pregnancy, and beyond.