Elevated glucose levels in early puerperium, and association with high cortisol levels during parturition

Gestational diabetes mellitus - Can we do better with postpartum diabetes screening?

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the accuracy of measuring fasting plasma glucose (FPG) within 24-48 h postpartum in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) as a predictor for abnormal 6-12-week postpartum oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study (2012-2021) included women with GDM and singleton pregnancies who had FPG levels recorded 24-28 h postpartum and underwent a 6-12-week OGTT. The study compared the predictive accuracy of these FPG readings with the OGTT results.

RESULTS

Among 3128 GDM patients, 1163 (37.2 %) had a postpartum OGTT, with 935 (80.2 %) showing normal FPG (<100 mg/dL). In low-risk GDM cases (managed by lifestyle modifications), 86.15 % had normal postpartum FPG. Normal 24-48 h FPG readings, especially in low-risk GDM cases, had a high negative predictive value (NPV of 99.3 %) for type-2 diabetes at the 6-12-week OGTT, but a lower NPV (85.8 %) for predicting future glucose intolerance.

DISCUSSION

Immediate postpartum FPG testing effectively excludes low-risk GDM women with regards to future type-2 diabetes and reasonably excluded future glucose intolerance in this group. Due to low compliance with standard OGTT, postpartum FPG could be a more practical predictive tool for diabetes in low-risk GDM cases.

Improvement effect of insulin resistance in one-day outpatient service by reducing stress adaptation disorders in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus

Aim

Conducted a one-day outpatient service for GDM patients, analyzed the relationship between stress adaptation disorder and insulin resistance in GDM patients after intervention, and tried to provide some new clues for the prevention and treatment of GDM, provide some theoretical basis for the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model of GDM patients.

Methods

240 GDM women were included in this study, 120 women were included in one-day diabetes clinic management for GDM women as GDM Intervention Group, and 120 GDM women receiving regular dietary education as GDM Control Group. One-day diabetes clinic management including disease knowledge and dietary education, sports education and blood sugar monitoring and personalized issues and follow-up visits, and intervention time lasting for 1 month.

Results

After intervention, the concentration of 2-h postprandial blood glucose, and HOMA-IR were decreased in GDM Intervention Group, while weekly weight gain rate and insulin application rate were significantly lower than GDM Control Group (all p < 0.05). Cortisol and MDA in GDM Intervention Group were significantly lower than GDM Control Group (both p < 0.01). HOMA-IR was positively correlated with weight gain, E, NE and cortisol (r = 0.249, 0.242, 0.663, 0.313, all p < 0.01), E and HOMA-IR were negatively correlated with SOD in GDM Intervention Group (r = -0.306, -0.213, both p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The intervention model in our study was based on the one-day outpatient comprehensive management model of diabetes, which improved the insulin resistance of GDM patients. The possible mechanism was related to the implementation of one-day outpatient intervention measures, which reduced the stress adaptation disorder and oxidative stress injury of GDM patients. At the same time, the implementation of intervention measures reduced the rate of weight gain, which can also alleviate insulin resistance to a certain extent. One-day outpatient treatment has a positive effect on improving insulin resistance in GDM women, which can reduce the risk of maternal and fetal complications.

Maternal Metabolic Biomarkers are Associated with Obesity and Excess Gestational Weight Gain

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent contribution of maternal obesity and gestational weight gain (GWG) in excess of the Institute of Medicine's guidelines on levels of maternal serum inflammatory and metabolic measures.

STUDY DESIGN

Banked maternal serum samples from 120 subjects with documented prepregnancy or first trimester body mass index (BMI) were utilized for analyte analyses. Validated, BMI-specific formulas were utilized to categorize GWG as either insufficient, at goal or excess based on the Institute of Medicine guidelines with gestational age adjustments. Serum was analyzed for known inflammatory or metabolic pathway intermediates using the Luminex xMap system with the MILLIPLEX Human Metabolic Hormone Magnetic Bead Panel. Measured analytes included interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α and metabolic markers amylin, c-peptide, ghrelin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon, insulin, leptin, pancreatic polypeptide, and peptide YY. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated for each marker.

RESULTS

C-peptide, insulin, and leptin all varied significantly with both obesity and GWG while glucagon-like peptide-1 varied by BMI but not GWG. These analytes covaried with other metabolic analytes, but not with inflammatory analytes.

CONCLUSION

Maternal metabolic biomarkers at delivery vary significantly with both obesity and GWG. Taken together, these findings suggest that GWG (with and without comorbid obesity) is an important mediator of measurable metabolites in pregnancy but is not necessarily accompanied by inflammatory measures in serum. These findings are consistent with GWG being an independent risk factor for metabolic disturbances during pregnancy.

The relationship between iron metabolism, stress hormones, and insulin resistance in gestational diabetes mellitus

AIM

To analyze the relationship between iron metabolism index and stress hormones, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

From January to November 2019, 75 patients with GDM were selected as GDM group, according to age of 1:1; 75 normal pregnant women were selected as Control group. Blood glucose, insulin, stress hormones such as cortisol, norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (E), and iron metabolism index such as serum iron, serum ferritin (SF), and transferrin saturation (TS) were measured. Insulin resistance was evaluated by homeostasis model insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between iron metabolism index and stress hormones, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress.

RESULTS

The levels of NE, E, serum iron, SF, and TS saturation in the GDM group were higher than Control group (t = 3.82, 2.75, 3.14, 6.12, and 3.90, P < 0.05, <0.05, <0.05, <0.01, <0.01); HOMA-IR was higher in the GDM group (t = 4.92, P < 0.01); malondialdehyde (MDA) was higher, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) was lower than Control group (t = 5.25, 4.98, both P < 0.01). Epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and serum ferritin were positively correlated (r = 0.21, 0.17, and 0.21); epinephrine, cortisol, and transferrin were positively correlated (r = 0.12, 0.31). There was a positive correlation between HOMA-IR and SF and TS (r = 0.34, 0.34). MDA was positively correlated with SF and TS (r = 0.24, 0.29); SOD was negatively related to SF and TS (r = -0.12, -0.17).

CONCLUSIONS

Iron metabolism index is related to insulin resistance in GDM women. The change in iron metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes caused by stress- adaptive disorder.

Assessment of glucose kinetics with real-time continuous glucose monitoring during labor

AIM

Changes in glucose levels during labor have not been sufficiently investigated in pregnant women. Using real-time continuous glucose monitoring, we aimed to assess glucose kinetics during labor among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (PwGDM), and those with normal glucose tolerance (PwNGT).

METHODS

Japanese PwGDM and PwNGT who had planned a transvaginal delivery at Okayama University Hospital were enrolled. The correlation between changes in glucose levels during labor among the PwGDM and PwNGT groups at four time periods was assessed: (i) active phase of 1st stage of labor; (ii) 2nd stage of labor; (iii) postpartum 0-12 h; and (iv) postpartum 12-48 h.

RESULTS

In total, 18 and 22 PwGDM and PwNGT, respectively, were enrolled. During labor, both groups had similar changes in glucose levels over time, which peaked during period 3. The main effect of glucose level changes was the labor period (P < 0.001), not the presence of gestational diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, differences in glucose levels in the PwGDM group were observed between periods 1 and 2 (P = 0.037), 1 and 3 (P = 0.024), 3 and 4 (P = 0.005); differences in glucose levels in the PwNGT group were observed between periods 3 and 4 (P = 0.024).

CONCLUSION

During labor, both PwGDM and PwNGT groups showed similar changes in glucose levels over time. During delivery, the PwGDM who regularly measured their own glucose levels could be managed using the same nutritional management methods as those for PwNGT.

Effects of chronic sleep deprivation on glucose homeostasis in rats

Epidemiological studies have shown that chronic sleep disturbances resulted in metabolic disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) and the glucose homeostasis in rats. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into CSD group and control (CON) group. The CSD rats were intervened by a modified multiple platform method (MMPM) to establish an animal model of chronic sleep disturbances. After 3-month intervention, all rats were subjected to an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and an insulin tolerance test (ITT), and the body weight, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine, lipid profile group, and homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) were measured. Both the CSD and CON groups had an attenuation of weight gain after 3-month intervention. The plasma glucose level of CSD group was higher than that of the CON group during the IPGTT (P < 0.01). The CSD rats showed a marked increase in HOMA-IR and ITT compared with the CON group (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences of AST, ALT, creatinine, and most lipid parameters between the CSD and CON groups (P > 0.05). The CSD has a marked effect on glucose homeostasis, comprising glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.