Gestational prediabetes: a new term for early prevention.

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have higher rates of foetal macrosomia, shoulder dystocia and pregnancy-induced hypertension, and are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Herein, we introduce a new conceptual term, “gestational prediabetes”, which requires the absence of diabetes before pregnancy, and the presence of blood glucose levels (or a related marker) in early pregnancy that are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to meet the diagnostic criteria for GDM. Identifying women with gestational prediabetes might be done in early pregnancy (e.g., 12 weeks’ gestation) using conventional glycaemic testing, assessment of visceral abdominal adiposity or hepatic fat by ultrasonography, or measuring serum sex hormone-binding globulin or adiponectin. However, none of these approaches has been systematically compared to conventional predictors, such as maternal body mass index or waist circumference. Any early-pregnancy predictor of gestational prediabetes risk needs to have low cost, ease of administration, and a short turnaround time. The theoretical advantage of identifying women with gestational prediabetes would be to “prevent” the onset of GDM (and its inherent risks to the pregnancy) in a timelier manner. One sensible starting point would be an intervention to prevent early excessive weight gain in pregnancy, which is currently being evaluated by two randomized clinical trials. In addition, early intervention could offset the need for resource-intense GDM management or insulin therapy.

Diabetes e gestação: perfil clínico e laboratorial em pré-natal de alto risco / Diabetes and pregnancy: clinical profile in high-risk prenatal care

Introdução: O diabetes é complicação clínica frequente na gestação e sua prevalência vem aumentando nos últimos anos. Objetivo: Analisar a frequência dos tipos de diabetes na gestação, as características clínicas das gestantes e alguns desfechos materno-fetais, em pré-natal de alto risco. Método: Estudo retrospectivo de revisão dos prontuários eletrônicos de mulheres com diabetes e gestação atendidas no período de janeiro 2009 a junho 2010 no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). Resultados: Nesse período, 173 gestantes foram atendidas no ambulatório de gestação e diabetes, no total de 1459 consultas. O diabetes gestacional ocorreu em 84% das gestantes, 8% apresentaram diabetes tipo 2, 6%, diabetes tipo 1 e 2%, outros tipos. As mulheres com diabetes gestacional apresentaram HbA1c inferior às demais. A maioria das pacientes iniciou o pré-natal após o primeiro trimestre. A taxa geral de cesariana foi de 56%, tendo sido mais frequente no diabetes tipo 1. O recém-nascido foi considerado pequeno para a idade gestacional em 9% dos casos, e grande em 13%, sem diferença entre os tipos de diabetes. Nas mulheres com diabetes gestacional, o peso do recém-nascido correlacionou-se positivamente com o índice de massa corporal, glicemia de jejum ao diagnóstico e HbA1c da mãe. Conclusão: O diabetes associado à gestação é motivo frequente de atendimento no pré-natal especializado do HCPA, sendo a maioria diabetes gestacional. Nesses casos, obesidade e pior controle glicêmico associaram-se com o peso fetal aumentado. As gestantes chegam tardiamente ao centro de tratamento, com controle metabólico aquém do recomendado.

Background: Gestational diabetes is a common complication of pregnancy and its prevalence has increased in the last years. Aim: To describe the frequency of different types of diabetes, maternal clinical characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes in pregnant diabetic women who received prenatal care at a high-risk prenatal center. Method: Review of medical records of pregnant diabetic women who received prenatal care between January 2009 and June 2010 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA). Results: In this period, 173 pregnant diabetic women received prenatal care; 1,459 medical visits were made. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed in 84% of the women, 8% had type 2 diabetes, 6% had type 1 diabetes, and 2% had other types of diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes had lower HbA1c than the other diabetic groups. Most patients started the prenatal care after the first quarter. The global frequency of cesarean section was 56% but it was more frequent among type 1 diabetics. Newborns were small for gestational age in 9% of the cases and large for gestational age in 13%, without significant differences between different types of diabetes. In gestational diabetic women, birth weight was associated with mother’s body mass index, fasting glycemia at diagnosis, and HbA1c. Conclusion: Diabetes associated with pregnancy is a frequent reason for prenatal care at HCPA; gestational diabetes is the most frequent type of diabetes and, in these women, maternal obesity and worst glycemic control adversely influenced fetal birth weight. Patients arrive with a suboptimal glycemic control and start their treatment with undesirable delay.

Fisiologia do sistema cardiovascular: o gênero feminino importa? / Cardiovascular physiopathology: is gender important?

A despeito do declínio da mortalidade registrado nas últimas décadas, a doença cardiovascular continua sendo a principal causa de morbidade e mortalidde no Brasil e no mundo. No entanto, no sexo feminino, a redução de eventos decorrente dos recentes avanços na cardiologia não foi tão significativa como a observada no sexo masculino. Comparativamente aos homens, a doença vascular apresenta-se de forma diferente nas mulheres, e o que funciona para o manuseio clínico masculino pode não funcionar nas mulheres. É preciso conhecer melhor as diferenças de fisiopatologia, diagnóstico e estratificação de risco entre os gêneros para que se possa atuar de forma precose e efetiva, evitando as consequências da doença cardiovascular nas mulheres. Neste artigo pretendeu-se pontuar as diferenças relacionadas ao gênero quanto a estrutura vascular, função vascular, inflamação, características da placa aterosclerótica, manifestação dos sintomas e papel dos hormônios na doença cardiovascular.

Despite a dramatic decline in mortality over the past three decades, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death and morbidity in Brazil and worldwide. However, recent advances in the field of cardiovascular medicine have not led to significant declines in event rates for women when compared to those observed for men. Women have different vascular disease than men, and clinical treatment that works for men may not work for women. We need to better understand the differences on the physiopathology, diagnosis, and risk stratification between genders so that we can take early and effective actions, thus avoiding the consequences of cardiovascular disease in women. In this paper we tried to establish gender-related differences as to the vascular structure, vascular function, inflammation, atherosclerotic plaque characteristics, manifestation of symptoms and the role of female hormones in cardiovascular disease.

Nueva clasificación y criterios diagnósticos de la diabetes mellitus / New classification and diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus

The new Classification and Diagnostic Criteria for Diabetes Mellitus (DM), prepared by a group of experts from the American Diabetes Association is presented and analyzed. On an etiopathogenic basis, it designates Insulin Dependent and Non Insulin Dependent as Type 1 and Type 2 respectively. It specifies DM having specific known causes. It maintains Gestational Diabetes and Glucose Intolerance and adds the Impaired Fasting Glucose Condition. It recommends fasting plasma glucose for search and diagnosis, and lowers the level to ,126 mg/dl instead of ,140 mg/dl, due to its association with chronical complications of DM. It mantains the diagnostic criteria of random and post charge glycemia ,200 mg/dl. It does not alter the glucose intolerance figure (140-200 mg/dl in OGTT) and introduces fasting abnormality ,110 and <126 mg/dl. It encourages the search with fasting glucose every 3 years in individuals aged over 45, and at more frequent intervals in younger individuals with high risk factors. Analysis of the report allows to conclude that, although the classification does not introduce any significant change in daily clinical use, its pathogenic orientation makes future innovations possible. The preferential use of fasting glucose ,126 mg/dl for diagnosis of DM has theoretical basis and practical advantages. Identification of individuals with impaired fasting glucose allows to detect, in a simple manner, a high risk group in which to start preventive measures. However, there is a percentage of cases which are not diagnosed by fasting glycemia, but are diagnosed by OGTT, therefore the latter should not be discarded

Nueva clasificación y criterios diagnósticos de la diabetes mellitus / The new classification and diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus

Se presenta y comenta la nueva clasificación y criterios diagnósticos de diabetes mellitus (DM), preparado por un grupo de expertos de la Asociación Americana de Diabetes. La nueva clasificación tiene un fundamento etiopatogénico, la antigua clasificación OMS 1985 era de índole terapéutico. Las llamadas diabetes insulinodependientes y diabetes no insulinodependiente, pasan a denominarse tipo 1 y tipo 2, respectivamente. Se mantienen las clases diabetes gestacional e intolerancia a la glucosa, agregándose a esta última el estado de intolerancia a la glucosa de ayuno. Para la pesquisa y diagnóstico de diabetes mellitus se recomienda la glicemia de ayuno y se fija la cifra >126 mg/dl (7,0 mmol/1) como nivel de anormalidad, antiguamente >140 mg/dl. Este cambio se realizó, debido a que los individuos con glicemias de ayunas entre los valores anotados desarrollan complicaciones crónicas. También se consideran diabéticos a los sujetos con una glicemia aleatoria en cualquier momento del día >200 mg/dl y la tercera alternativa diagnóstico corresponde a esta misma cifra, pero obtenida a las dos horas de una carga de 75 g de glucosa. En ausencia de síntomas debe repetirse el examen para confinnar el diagnóstico. Se establece como glicemias normales en ayunas a las menores de 110 mg/dl, los valores intermedios, entre 100 y 126 mg/dl, constituyen el estado de intolerancia a la glucosa de ayuno. No se modifican las cifras de intolerancia a la glucosa, las que corresponden a glicemias >140 y menor de 200 mg/dl a las dos horas post carga. Se mantuvieron los criterios diagnósticos del National Diabetes Data Group para diabetes gestacional, recomendándose realizar pesquisa en todas las mujeres con riesgo entre las semanas 24 y 28 de embarazo, con una glicemia una hora después de ingerir 50 g de glucosa, a cualquier hora del día. Las embarazadas con valores de glicemia >140 mg/dl deben ser sometidas a una prueba de tolerancia con 100g de glucosa y cuatro muestras horarias. El Comité considera la existencia de un grupo de gestantes de bajo riesgo en quienes no es necesario realizar pesquisa. El Grupo de Expertos, al igual que el informe de la OMS 1985, concluye que para la prueba de tolerancia a la glucosa oral sólo se requiere la glicemia de ayunas y la de las dos horas después de 75g de glucosa. Las glicemias intermedias no son necesarias para la práctica clínica. Se resalta además...