Risk Factors for Progression From Gestational Diabetes to Postpartum Type 2 Diabetes: A Review

Gestational diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for future Type-2 diabetes mellitus: An experience from a tertiary care diabetes hospital, Karachi - Pakistan

Objective

To evaluate the history of gestational diabetes mellitus and other risk factors in women presenting with Type-2 diabetes mellitus at a tertiary care hospital.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out at Baqai Institute of Diabetology & Endocrinology (BIDE), Baqai Medical University (BMU), Karachi-Pakistan from July 2019 to May 2022. Women with Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) visiting outpatient department of BIDE with a previous history of GDM were recruited. Details were obtained on pre-designed questionnaire after taking informed written consent.

Results

A total of 378 women who had a prior history of GDM were included. Mean age (years) was 43.53±10.17. Mostly women were obese (BMI = 30.53±6.08) and have sedentary lifestyle. Mean HbA1c (%) was 9.08±2.24. This study found family history of T2DM and hypertension were common risk factors in women with GDM history. Mostly, women were diagnosed as GDM during 2nd trimester 153(42%) and was mainly seen in multiparous women (occur in 4th and above pregnancy). We found hypertension as common complication during pregnancy. Around 46% women developed T2DM within one year of GDM diagnosis, and 29.6% between one to five years.

Conclusion

Majority of women with GDM developed T2DM within five years of diagnosis. The potential associated risk factors were age, family history of diabetes, insulin use during pregnancy, trimester of GDM diagnosis, and hypertension during pregnancy. Awareness and life style modifications along with regular post-partum follow up with screening for T2DM should be part of GDM management to prevent or delay the occurrence of this serious complication.

Predicting Progression from Gestational Diabetes to Impaired Glucose Tolerance Using Peridelivery Data: An Observational Study

OBJECTIVE

 This article aimed to develop a predictive model to identify persons with recent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) most likely to progress to impaired glucose tolerance postpartum.

STUDY DESIGN

 We conducted an observational study among persons with GDM in their most recent pregnancy, defined by Carpenter-Coustan criteria. Participants were followed up from delivery through 1-year postpartum. We used lasso regression with k-fold cross validation to develop a multivariable model to predict progression to impaired glucose tolerance, defined as HbA1c≥5.7%, at 1-year postpartum. Predictive ability was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV).

RESULTS

 Of 203 participants, 71 (35%) had impaired glucose tolerance at 1-year postpartum. The final model had an AUC of 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72, 0.85) and included eight indicators of weight, body mass index, family history of type 2 diabetes, GDM in a prior pregnancy, GDM diagnosis<24 weeks' gestation, and fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose at 2 days postpartum. A cutoff point of ≥ 0.25 predicted probability had sensitivity of 80% (95% CI: 69, 89), specificity of 58% (95% CI: 49, 67), PPV of 51% (95% CI: 41, 61), and NPV of 85% (95% CI: 76, 91) to identify women with impaired glucose tolerance at 1-year postpartum.

CONCLUSION

 Our predictive model had reasonable ability to predict impaired glucose tolerance around delivery for persons with recent GDM.

KEY POINTS

· We developed a predictive model to identify persons with GDM most likely to develop IGT postpartum.. · The final model had an AUC of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.85) and included eight clinical indicators.. · If validated, our model could help prioritize diabetes prevention efforts among persons with GDM..

Gestational diabetes and risk of future diabetes in a multi-ethnic population

AIM

To investigate ethnic disparities in risk of gestational diabetes-mellitus (GDM) and future diabetes.

METHODS

A population-based retrospective cohort study of women who underwent a 100-g oral glucose-tolerance-test (oGTT) during pregnancy between 2007 and 2017 in Clalit-Health-Services of the Jerusalem district. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to compare the risk of GDM in Arab versus Jewish women. Further, Cox-regression analysis was used to establish the risk of future diabetes.

RESULTS

A total of 9875 women, 71 % of Jewish ethnicity and 29 % of Arab ethnicity were included. Arab women had a higher incidence of GDM compared to Jewish women (17.3 % vs. 10.6 %, p < 0.001), which persisted after adjusting for age, BMI, and metabolic profile (aOR 1.7; CI 1.48-2.0, P < 0.001). Additionally, Arab ethnicity was associated with an increased risk of future diabetes, even after adjusting for GDM status (aHR 5.9; 95 % CI 3.7-9.4, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Women of Arab ethnicity have a higher risk for both GDM and future diabetes, a risk that is beyond the initial increased risk associated with GDM. These findings highlight the need for increased focus on preventing diabetes in women of Arab ethnicity, especially those with a history of GDM.

Future diabetes risk can be predicted by the number of abnormal oral glucose tolerance test values during pregnancy

AIM

To quantify the future risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in women with gestational diabetes (GD) based on baseline metabolic characteristics and the number of abnormal values during a 3-hour 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of 10 023 pregnant women who underwent testing for GD in a large health maintenance organization in Israel using a 100-g OGTT. Glucose values were obtained at four time points, 0, 60, 120 and 180 minutes.

RESULTS

We identified 9939 women who met the study criteria. Median follow-up was 3.25 (interquartile range 1.5-5.1; maximum 10.1) years. Using women without GD as reference, women with GD were at an increased risk of future T2D (hazard ratio [HR] 5.33 [95% confidence interval {CI} 3.86-7.34]). This risk increased with a greater number of abnormal OGTT values, with the highest risk seen in women with four abnormal values (HR 16.67 [95% CI 7.94-35.01]). In a multivariate model, a higher number of abnormal values, Arab ethnicity, higher body mass index, triglycerides and prepregnancy glucose were significantly associated with increased risk. Future T2D risk was also affected by the type of OGTT abnormality; an abnormal fasting value had the greatest risk, whereas an abnormal 3-hour value had the lowest risk (HR 3.61 [95% CI 2.42-5.38] vs. 1.50 [95% CI 0.93-2.43], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

GD is a heterogenous disease, with varying degrees of glucose intolerance and subsequent T2D risk. Targeting interventions to women at the highest risk may help to improve postpartum adherence and effective long-term follow-up strategies.

Relationships between triglyceride-glucose index and incident gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study of a Korean population using publicly available data

Background

The connection between the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is currently debated. Our study aimed to investigate the connection between the TyG index and GDM within the Korean population.

Methods

Using publically accessible data in Korea, we performed a secondary study on a sample of 589 pregnant women who were carrying a single fetus. The analysis employed a binary logistic regression model, some sensitivity analyses, and subgroup analysis to investigate the association between the TyG index and the occurrence of GDM. To assess the TyG index's potential to predict GDM, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) study was also carried out.

Results

The mean age of the pregnant women was 32.065 ± 3.798 years old, while the mean TyG index was 8.352 ± 0.400. The prevalence rate of GDM was found to be 6.112%. Upon adjusting for potential confounding variables, a positive association was detected between the TyG index and incident GDM (OR = 12.923, 95%CI: 3.581-46.632, p = 0.00009). The validity of this connection was further confirmed by subgroup analysis and sensitivity analyses. With an area under the ROC curve of 0.807 (95%CI: 0.734-0.879), the TyG index showed strong predictive power for GDM. The TyG index's ideal cutoff value for detecting GDM was found to be 8.632, with a sensitivity of 78.7% and a specificity of 72.2%.

Conclusion

The findings of our study provide evidence that an increased TyG index is significantly associated with the occurrence of GDM. Utilizing the TyG index during the 10-14 week gestational period may be a valuable tool in identifying pregnant individuals at a heightened risk for developing GDM. Early detection enables timely and efficacious interventions, thereby enhancing the prognosis of affected individuals.

The STAR-MAMA RCT: Bilingual Mobile Health Coaching for Postpartum Weight Loss

INTRODUCTION

Gestational diabetes and overweight during pregnancy are associated with future type 2 diabetes. Postpartum weight loss can reduce diabetes risk. However, effective interventions for postpartum weight loss are lacking, in particular for Latina populations, despite their disproportionate burdens of gestational diabetes, overweight, and diabetes.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a community-based RCT.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Researchers recruited pregnant individuals with gestational diabetes or BMI>25 kg/m2 from safety-net health care settings and Women, Infants, and Children offices in Northern California in 2014-2018. Of 180 individuals randomized to intervention (n=89) or control (n=91), 78% identified as Latina, 61% were primarily Spanish speaking, and 76% perceived their diabetes risk to be low.

INTERVENTION

The intervention consisted of a 5-month postpartum telephone-based health coaching intervention delivered in English or Spanish.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Data were collected through surveys at enrollment and 9-12 months after delivery and chart review up to 12 months after delivery. The primary outcome, weight change from prepregnancy to 9-12 months after delivery, was compared between the groups, overall and within strata defined a priori according to language (Spanish or English) and diabetes risk perception (none/slight or moderate/high).

RESULTS

The intent-to-treat estimated intervention effect was +0.7 kg (95% CI= -2.4 kg, +3.8 kg; p=0.67). In stratified analyses, intervention effects remained nonsignificant but varied in direction: effects were favorable among English speakers and those with higher perceived diabetes risk, and unfavorable among Spanish speakers and those with lower perceived risk. Analyses were conducted in 2021-2022.

CONCLUSIONS

A postpartum health coaching intervention, designed for low-income Latina women at increased risk for diabetes, did not reduce postpartum weight gain. Intervention effects were nonsignificantly more favorable among English speakers versus Spanish speakers, and among those who perceived their diabetes risk to be high versus low.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered at www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov NCT02240420.

Is There a Relationship between Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Future Development of Atherosclerosis?

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main death causes globally. Effective cardiovascular risk management requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying the disorder. Establishing early markers of the disease allows a timely intervention and prevention of further atherosclerosis development. Multiple studies confirm the correlation between pregnancy disorders and cardiovascular disease in the postpartum period. Moreover, over 30% of women experience adverse pregnancy outcomes. Thus, the examination of the links between these conditions and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease may help to identify gender-specific risk factors. In this review, we will explore the association between several adverse pregnancy outcome conditions and atherosclerosis. The current analysis is based on the data from several recent studies on the mechanisms behind gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, miscarriages, and stillbirths and their implications for the female cardiovascular system.

An Early Mediterranean-Based Nutritional Intervention during Pregnancy Reduces Metabolic Syndrome and Glucose Dysregulation Rates at 3 Years Postpartum

A Mediterranean diet (MedDiet)-based intervention reduces the rate of immediate postpartum maternal metabolic disorders. Whether these effects persist long-term remains to be determined. A total of 2526 normoglycemic women were randomized before the 12th gestational week (GW). IG women followed a MedDiet with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) (>40 mL/day) and a handful of nuts daily, whereas CG women had to restrict all kinds of dietary fat. At 3 months postpartum, a motivational lifestyle interview was held. The endpoint of the study evaluated the rate of abnormal glucose regulation (AGR) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) at 3 years postpartum in women of the San Carlos cohort. A total of 369/625 (59%) CG women and 1031/1603 (64.3%) IG women were finally analyzed. At 3 months and 3 years postdelivery, the IG women showed higher adherence to the MedDiet, which was associated with lower values of body mass index (BMI) and lipid and glycemic profiles. Body weight change and waist circumference were lower in the IG women. After applying multiple regression analysis, the ORs (95%CI) resulted in AGR (3.18 (2.48-4.08); p < 0.001)/MetS (3.79 (1.81-7.95); p = 0.001) for women with GDM and higher OR for development of MetS in CG women (3.73 (1.77-7.87); p = 0.001). A MedDiet-based intervention early in pregnancy demonstrated persistent beneficial effects on AGR and MetS rates at 3 years postpartum.

Screening test characteristics and comparison of diabetes outcomes among pregnant patients with prediabetes

This study sought to compare test characteristics of hemoglobin A1c, oral glucose tolerance test and fasting plasma glucose for the development of gestational diabetes among women with prediabetes. Diabetes outcomes were compared by screening test used for prediabetes diagnosis among a retrospective cohort of pregnant patients between 2017-2021. During the study, 8132 patients received diabetes screening and 14.0% met criteria for prediabetes. By screening test, 75.1% were screened with hemoglobin A1c, 10.0% with fasting plasma glucose and 14.9% with a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Hemoglobin A1c had the highest positive predictive value (67.2%). Use of hemoglobin A1c was significantly more likely to identify women with GDM than oral glucose tolerance test (aOR 3.94, 95% CI 2.30-6.73). In this study cohort, hemoglobin A1c was able to identify patients that were more likely to develop GDM in an at-risk population.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Prediabetes is becoming more common in the general population; however little is known about prediabetes in pregnancy. Women with prediabetes in pregnancy appear to be at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, however there is minimal information about various screening tests performance in pregnancy for detection of prediabetes and subsequent gestational diabetes.What do the results of this study add? The results of this study compare three commonly used screening tests for screening for diabetes. When identifying women with prediabetes, they are at increased risk for developing gestational diabetes mellitus if identified by hemoglobin A1c.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The clinical implication of this study is that women can be screened with hemoglobin A1c in early pregnancy for both overt diabetes, but also may be identified as high risk with prediabetes. Among women with prediabetes by hemoglobin A1c, they remain at high risk for developing gestational diabetes mellitus.

Risk and Risk Factors for Postpartum Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Women with Gestational Diabetes: A Korean Nationwide Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

There are differences in risk and risk factor findings of postpartum type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after gestational diabetes depending on study design and subjects of previous studies. This study aimed to assess these risk and risk factors more accurately through a population-based study to provide basic data for prevention strategies.

METHODS

This open retrospective cohort included data of 419,101 women with gestational diabetes and matched 1,228,802 control women who delivered between 2004 and 2016 from the South Korea National Health Information Database of the National Health Insurance Service. Following 14 (median 5.9) years of follow-up, the incidence and hazard ratio (HR) of postpartum T2DM were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional regression models.

RESULTS

The incidence and HR of postpartum T2DM in women with gestational diabetes (compared to women without gestational diabetes) after the 14-year follow-up was 21.3% and 2.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.74 to 2.82), respectively. Comorbid obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m2) increased postpartum T2DM risk 7.59 times (95% CI, 7.33 to 7.86). Significant risk factors for postpartum T2DM were fasting glucose level, BMI, age, family history of diabetes, hypertension, and insulin use during pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

This population-based study showed higher postpartum T2DM risk in women with gestational diabetes than in those without, which was further increased by comorbid obesity. BMI and fasting glucose level were important postpartum risk factors. The management of obesity and glycemic control may be important strategies to prevent the incidence of diabetes after delivery.