Effect of gestational diabetes on fetal growth rate and later overweight in the offspring.

CONTEXT: Children of women with gestational diabetes (GDM) are often born with a higher birthweight and have an increased risk of overweight during childhood. High fetal growth rate is also associated with being overweight in childhood. OBJECTIVE: To examine excessive fetal growth rate as a mediator between GDM and overweight in the offspring. METHODS: This was a longitudinal cohort study, using routinely collected data on children born 2008-2014 in Aarhus, Denmark. Fetal biometrics were extracted from the patient records at Aarhus University Hospital and childhood weight from the health records at Aarhus Municipality Healthcare Service. We calculated growth trajectories for fetuses affected by GDM and for unaffected fetuses using cubic mixed model regression. We extracted individual fetal growth rate and estimated the contributing effect of fetal growth rate on the risk of being overweight in the 5-9 year-old offspring. RESULTS: We included 6794 mother-child pairs, 295 with GDM. Fetal growth was higher in women with GDM from week 25, and the offspring had an increased risk of being overweight (OR: 2.02 (95%CI: 1.44 - 2.84)). When adjusting for fetal growth rate in week 28 the effect attenuated by 15%, and to 1.10 (95%CI: 0.76 - 1.60) when further adjusting for pre-pregnancy BMI. CONCLUSION: Pregnancies affected by GDM had higher fetal growth rate and the offspring had a higher risk of being overweight at 5-9 years. Fetal growth rate in early third trimester was a mediator of up to 15% of this association, but pre-pregnancy BMI contributed strongly as well.

Hemoglobin A1c Trajectories During Pregnancy and Adverse Outcomes in Women With Type 2 Diabetes: A Danish National Population-Based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and characterize groups of pregnant women with type 2 diabetes with distinct hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) trajectories across gestation and to examine the association with adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective Danish national cohort study including all singleton pregnancies in women with type 2 diabetes, giving birth to a liveborn infant, between 2004 and 2019. HbA1c trajectories were identified using latent class linear mixed-model analysis. Associations with adverse outcomes were examined with logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 1,129 pregnancies were included. Three HbA1c trajectory groups were identified and named according to the glycemic control in early pregnancy (good, 59%; moderate, 32%; and poor, 9%). According to the model, all groups attained an estimated HbA1c <6.5% (48 mmol/mol) during pregnancy, with no differences between groups in the 3rd trimester. Women with poor glycemic control in early pregnancy had lower odds of having an infant with large-for-gestational-age (LGA) birth weight (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.57, 95% CI 0.40-0.83), and higher odds of having an infant with small-for-gestational age (SGA) birth weight (aOR 2.49, 95% CI 2.00-3.10) and congenital malformation (CM) (aOR 4.60 95% CI 3.39-6.26) compared with women with good glycemic control. There was no evidence of a difference in odds of preeclampsia, preterm birth, and caesarean section between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Women with poor glycemic control in early pregnancy have lower odds of having an infant with LGA birth weight, but higher odds of having an infant with SGA birth weight and CM.

Clinical and Metabolic Characterization of Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Within the First Year Postpartum.

Context: Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have an increased risk of long-term complications, including impaired glucose metabolism, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiovascular disease, and obesity. In current clinical practice, a 1 size fits all approach to GDM is applied, although heterogeneity among women with GDM has been recognized. Objective: To give the most adequate preventive care and postpartum (PP) guidance, we aimed to make a metabolic characterization and identify subgroups of women with previous GDM within the first year PP. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we collected data in gestational week 34-38, at 3 months, and 1 year PP on women with GDM who participated in a PP follow-up program in Central Region Denmark from April 2019 to December 2022. Results: In total, 1270 women were included in the program in late pregnancy. Of the 768 women participating in either the oral glucose tolerance test 3 months PP (n = 545) or the 1-year follow-up (n = 493) or both (n = 261), 608 (79.2%) were normoglycemic, 137 (17.8%) had prediabetes, 20 (2.6%) had T2DM, and 3 (.4%) had developed T1DM. More than 40% of the women gained weight in the first year PP compared with their pregestational weight. Conclusion: Our study shows that 20.8% of women with GDM who volunteered to participate in a clinical follow-up program developed prediabetes or diabetes (T1DM and T2DM) within the first year PP. The GDM diagnosis encompasses a heterogenetic group of women and a deeper characterization may provide an opportunity for a more personalized risk assessment to prevent the progression to T2DM.

Endocrine, cardiac and neuropsychological aspects of adult congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the metabolic, cardiovascular, and neuropsychological phenotype, quality of life (QoL), and hormonal regulation in individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by impaired synthesis of cortisol in the adrenal cortex and, if untreated compensatory hyperandrogenism. CAH is associated with an increased cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity, possibly due to overtreatment with glucocorticoids, leading to weight gain, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, MEASUREMENTS: Thirty-seven individuals with CAH and 33 age- and sex-matched controls were evaluated at a single centre at Aarhus University Hospital with echocardiography, electrocardiogram, 24-h blood pressure, biochemistry, anthropometrics, and autism spectrum, anxiety, depression, personality, cognitive failures, and QoL were assessed using questionnaires. RESULTS: CAH individuals had lower height than controls (170.5 vs. 182.9 cm in males and 160.2 vs. 170.1 cm in females, p < 0.01). Compared with female controls, females with CAH had higher haemoglobin (8.8 vs. 8.2 mmol/L, p = 0.003) and BMI (29.7 vs. 25.5 kg/m2, p = 0.006), reduced insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR): 2.7 vs. 1.9, p = 0.018), prolonged E-wave deceleration time (193 vs. 174 cm, p = 0.015), and E/é ratios (5.4 vs. 4.5, p = 0.017), and lower self-reported QoL. Males with CAH had more cognitive complaints (p = 0.034) and higher autistic scores (19.9 vs. 14.9; p = 0.068) compared with male controls. More individuals with CAH than controls reported writing problems. CONCLUSION: A sex-specific comorbidity profile is evident in CAH, with females presenting with decreased metabolic and overall self-reported health, whereas males with CAH presented with increased cognitive complaints and autistic traits.

Danish Diabetes Birth Registry 2: a study protocol of a national prospective cohort study to monitor outcomes of pregnancies of women with pre-existing diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Despite technological developments and intensified care, pregnancies in women with pre-existing diabetes are still considered high-risk pregnancies. The rate of adverse outcomes in pregnancies affected by diabetes in Denmark is currently unknown, and there is a limited understanding of mechanisms contributing to this elevated risk. To address these gaps, the Danish Diabetes Birth Registry 2 (DDBR2) was established. The aims of this registry are to evaluate maternal and fetal-neonatal outcomes based on 5 years cohort data, and to identify pathophysiology and risk factors associated with short-term and long-term outcomes of pregnancies in women with pre-existing diabetes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The DDBR2 registry is a nationwide 5-year prospective cohort with an inclusion period from February 2023 to February 2028 of pregnancies in women with all types of pre-existing diabetes and includes registry, clinical and questionnaire data and biological samples of mother-partner-child trios. Eligible families (parents age ≥18 years and sufficient proficiency in Danish or English) can participate by either (1) basic level data obtained from medical records (mother and child) and questionnaires (partner) or (2) basic level data and additional data which includes questionnaires (mother and partner) and blood samples (all). The primary maternal outcome is Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels at the end of pregnancy and the primary offspring endpoint is the birth weight SD score. The DDBR2 registry will be complemented by genetic, epigenetic and metabolomic data as well as a biobank for future research, and the cohort will be followed through data from national databases to illuminate possible mechanisms that link maternal diabetes and other parental factors to a possible increased risk of adverse long-term child outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Approval from the Ethical Committee is obtained (S-20220039). Findings will be sought published in international scientific journals and shared among the participating hospitals and policymakers. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05678543.

Health promotion intervention among women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus: penetration, participation, and baseline findings from the Face-it randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Face-it is a randomized controlled trial for women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their families designed to evaluate the effect of a health promotion intervention on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk and quality of life. This study examined (1) the penetration and participation rates for the Face-it trial, (2) the characteristics of the participating women and the potential differences in characteristics according to partner participation status, and (3) representativity of the women at baseline. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We identified women with GDM during pregnancy and invited them and their partners to a baseline examination 10-14 weeks after delivery. Representativity was assessed by comparing the baseline participants with non-participating women, the general population of women with GDM delivering in Denmark, and populations from other intervention trials. RESULTS: The penetration rate was 38.0% (867/2279) and the participation rate was 32.9% (285/867). The 285 women who attended baseline had a mean age of 32.7 (±4.8) years and body mass index (BMI) of 28.1 (±5.4) kg/m2, and 69.8% had a partner who participated. The women participating with a partner were more often primiparous, born in Denmark (82.8% vs 68.2%), were younger, and more often had a BMI ≤24.9 kg/m2 (35.7% vs 21.2%) compared with women without a partner. Compared with the general population of women with GDM in Denmark, these women broadly had similar degree of heterogeneity, but had higher rates of primiparity and singleton deliveries, and lower rates of preterm delivery and prepregnancy obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The penetration and participation rates were acceptable. We found a high rate of partner participation. Overall, women participating with a partner were comparable with those participating without a partner. Participating women were broadly similar to the general national GDM population, however with prepregnancy obesity, multiparity, preterm delivery, and multiple pregnancy being less represented. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03997773.

Validation of Danish registry-cases of type 1 diabetes in women giving live birth using a clinical cohort as gold standard.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to validate type 1 diabetes in women giving live birth in the Danish national registries against a clinical cohort of confirmed cases (the Danish Diabetes Birth Registry [DDBR] cohort). METHODS: National registries including diagnosis codes, redeemed prescriptions and background data were combined. Three main algorithms were constructed to define type 1 diabetes in women giving live birth: (1) Any diabetes diagnosis registered before delivery and before age of 30, (2) a specific type 1 diabetes diagnosis registered before delivery regardless of maternal age and (3) a 'preexisting type 1 diabetes in pregnancy' diagnosis registered before delivery. In additional sub-algorithms, we added information on anti-diabetic medicine and gestational diabetes diagnosis. We calculated positive predictive value (PPV) and completeness using the DDBR cohort as gold standard. Since DDBR included between 75 and 93% of women with confirmed type 1 diabetes giving live birth, we used quantitative bias analysis to assess the potential impact of missing data on PPV and completeness. RESULTS: Main algorithm 2 had the highest PPV (77.4%) and shared the highest completeness (92.4%) with main algorithm 1. Information on anti-diabetic medicine and gestational diabetes increased PPV, on expense of completeness. All algorithms varied with PPV between 65.7 and 87.6% and completeness between 73.6 and 92.4%. The quantitative bias analysis indicated that PPV was underestimated, and completeness overestimated for all algorithms. For algorithm 2, corrected PPV was between 82.1 and 94.6% and corrected completeness between 84.7 and 91.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The Danish national registries can identify type 1 diabetes in women giving live birth with a reasonably high accuracy. The registries are a valuable source for future comparative outcome studies and may also be suitable for monitoring prevalence and incidence of type 1 diabetes in women giving live birth.

Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy and Women's Health in the 21st Century.

Hyperglycemia is the commonest medical condition affecting pregnancy and its incidence is increasing globally in parallel with the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity. Both pre-pregnancy diabetes and gestational diabetes are associated with short term pregnancy complications, with the risk of immediate complications generally broadly rising with more severe hyperglycemia. In this article we firstly consider these risks and their optimal management during pregnancy and then broaden our scope to consider the long-term implications of hyperglycemia in pregnancy as it relates to overall maternal and offspring health in a life course perspective.

Epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations in offspring born to women with type 1 diabetes (the EPICOM study).

BACKGROUND: Offspring born to women with pregestational type 1 diabetes (T1DM) are exposed to an intrauterine hyperglycemic milieu and has an increased risk of metabolic disease later in life. In this present study, we hypothesize that in utero exposure to T1DM alters offspring DNA methylation and gene expression, thereby altering their risk of future disease. METHODS: Follow-up study using data from the Epigenetic, Genetic and Environmental Effects on Growth, Metabolism and Cognitive Functions in Offspring of Women with Type 1 Diabetes (EPICOM) collected between 2012 and 2013. SETTING: Exploratory sub-study using data from the nationwide EPICOM study. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescent offspring born to women with T1DM (n=20) and controls (n=20) matched on age, sex, and postal code. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This study investigates DNA methylation using the 450K-Illumina Infinium assay and RNA expression (RNA sequencing) of leucocytes from peripheral blood samples. RESULTS: We identified 9 hypomethylated and 5 hypermethylated positions (p < 0.005, |ΔM-value| > 1) and 38 up- and 1 downregulated genes (p < 0.005, log2FC ≥ 0.3) in adolescent offspring born to women with T1DM compared to controls. None of these findings remained significant after correction for multiple testing. However, we identified differences in gene co-expression networks, which could be of biological significance, using weighted gene correlation network analysis. Interestingly, one of these modules was significantly associated with offspring born to women with T1DM. Functional enrichment analysis, using the identified changes in methylation and gene expression as input, revealed enrichment in disease ontologies related to diabetes, carbohydrate and glucose metabolism, pathways including MAPK1/MAPK3 and MAPK family signaling, and genes related to T1DM, obesity, atherosclerosis, and vascular pathologies. Lastly, by integrating the DNA methylation and RNA expression data, we identified six genes where relevant methylation changes corresponded with RNA expression (CIITA, TPM1, PXN, ST8SIA1, LIPA, DAXX). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the possibility for intrauterine exposure to maternal T1DM to impact later in life methylation and gene expression in the offspring, a profile that may be linked to the increased risk of vascular and metabolic disease later in life.

Correction: School performance in Danish children exposed to maternal type 1 diabetes in utero: A nationwide retrospective cohort study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003977.].

School performance in Danish children exposed to maternal type 1 diabetes in utero: A nationwide retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Conflicting results have been reported concerning possible adverse effects on the cognitive function of offspring of mothers with type 1 diabetes (O-mT1D). Previous studies have included offspring of parents from the background population (O-BP), but not offspring of fathers with type 1 diabetes (O-fT1D) as the unexposed reference group. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This is a population-based retrospective cohort study from 2010 to 2016. Nationally standardized school test scores (range, 1 to 100) were obtained for public school grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 in O-mT1D and compared with those in O-fT1D and O-BP. Of the 622,073 included children, 2,144 were O-mT1D, and 3,474 were O-fT1D. Multiple linear regression models were used to compare outcomes, including the covariates offspring with type 1 diabetes, parity, number of siblings, offspring sex, smoking during pregnancy, parental age, and socioeconomic factors. Mean test scores were 54.2 (standard deviation, SD 24.8) in O-mT1D, 54.4 (SD 24.8) in O-fT1D, and 56.4 (SD 24.7) in O-BP. In adjusted analyses, the mean differences in test scores were -1.59 (95% CI -2.48 to -0.71, p < 0.001) between O-mT1D and O-BP and -0.78 (95% CI -1.48 to -0.08, p = 0.03) between O-fT1D and O-BP. No significant difference in the adjusted mean test scores was found between O-mT1D and O-fT1D (p = 0.16). The study's limitation was no access to measures of glycemic control during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: O-mT1D achieved lower test scores than O-BP but similar test scores compared with O-fT1D. Glycemic control during pregnancy is essential to prevent various adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with type 1 diabetes. However, the present study reduces previous concerns regarding adverse effects of in utero hyperglycemia on offspring cognitive function.

GAD65 autoantibodies and glucose tolerance in offspring born to women with and without type 1 diabetes (The EPICOM study).

The aims of this study were to examine presence of GAD65 autoantibodies (GAD65aab) in offspring born to women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and controls and if more were GAD65aab-positive if diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. This EPICOM study is a prospective follow-up study focussing on pregnancies complicated by maternal T1D. The EPICOM study includes offspring (n = 278) born to mothers with pre-gestational T1D between 1993 and 1999 and matched un-exposed controls (n = 303). Age at the time of follow-up was 16.7 years (13.0-20.4 years). GAD65aab was measured using the Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Autoantibody RIA kit from RSR© . An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) was performed, and abnormal glucose tolerance was defined as having either diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). GAD65aab could be measured in 561 participants. Of these, 17 (3%) were positive for GAD65aab (≥25 U/ml) with 11 (4%) offspring being born to women with T1D and 6 (2%) controls. The difference in GAD65aab status was not statistically significant (p = .2). One was diagnosed with GAD65aab-negative diabetes during the study, 18 were diagnosed with IFG, and 44 with IGT. Overall, more were GAD65aab-positive if diagnosed with abnormal glucose tolerance (p = .03). We found no association between GAD65aab status and HOMA-IR, HOMA-IS, birthweight, mode of delivery or maternal BMI prior to pregnancy. Our study found no overall difference in GAD65 status between offspring born to women with T1D and their matched controls. However, among the participants diagnosed with pre-diabetes more were GAD65-positive.

Ambivalence and moral dilemmas in women's lived experiences of obesity and pregnancy: Qualitative insights for maternal lifestyle interventions.

BACKGROUND: Maternal obesity is a global health concern that is associated with significant effects on both short- and long-term health of both mother and child. However, maternal lifestyle interventions tend to focus solely on diet and physical activity in ways that disembody and disengage the social context in which women live their lives. AIMS: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of maternal obesity and delve into how experiences of the body and motherhood affect women's motivation for participating in a postpartum lifestyle intervention. METHOD: A qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews based on participant-generated photographs was used to allow the women to openly express their lived experiences of maternal obesity. The study emanated from a gynaecological department of a major Danish hospital, and five pregnant or postpartum women living with obesity participated. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using an Interpretive Phenomenological Approach. RESULTS: The analysis identified an overall theme of ambivalence and four subthemes among the participating women. The themes reflected contrasting feelings where the obese body was simultaneously an arena for aesthetic failure, functional success and moral dilemmas. Experiences of weight stigma and moral accusations in healthcare settings further increased the women's sense of ambivalence and challenged their strong desire to lose weight. CONCLUSION: This study highlights an ambivalent and vulnerable situation of maternal obesity which makes moral sensitivity towards weight and body concerns crucial to consider in future maternal health interventions. Our data suggest that an emphasis on functionality and capability rather than aesthetics and measured ideals would be useful in providing care and support in postpartum lifestyle interventions for women living with obesity.

Apolipoprotein D and transthyretin are reduced in female adolescent offspring of women with type 1 diabetes: The EPICOM study.

AIMS: Adolescent offspring exposed to maternal diabetes during intrauterine life show a less favourable metabolic profile than the background population. Here, we hypothesize that offspring of women with type 1 diabetes (T1D), possess sex-specific alterations in the serum profile of proteins involved in lipid, metabolic and transport processes and that these alterations are associated with lipid profile and indices of insulin sensitivity and secretion. METHODS: A prospective nationwide follow-up study (EPICOM) in a Danish population. Blood samples were assessed from offspring of women with T1D (index offspring, n = 267, 13-20 years), and matched control offspring (n = 290). Serum proteins were analysed using a 25-plex cardio-metabolic targeted proteomics assay, which includes 12 apolipoproteins and 13 transport and inflammatory proteins. RESULTS: Apolipoprotein D (ApoD) and transthyretin (TTR) were reduced in index females as compared to female controls (-8.1%, p < 0.001 and -6.1%, p = 0.006 respectively), but not in index males (2.2%, p = 0.476 and -2.4%, p = 0.731 respectively). Sex-dependent inverse associations between exposure to maternal T1D in utero and ApoD and TTR were significant after adjusting for age, BMI-SDS and Tanner stage (OR = 0.252 [95% CI 0.085, 0.745], p = 0.013 and OR = 0.149 [95% CI 0.040, 0.553], p = 0.004). ApoD correlated to indices of insulin sensitivity and secretion in a similar sex-specific pattern in crude and adjusted analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Low ApoD may be regarded as an early risk marker of metabolic syndrome. A possible link between ApoD and cardiovascular disease needs further investigation.

The Impact of Lifestyle, Diet and Physical Activity on Epigenetic Changes in the Offspring-A Systematic Review.

AIMS: This systematic review examines the association between maternal lifestyle, diet and physical activity, and epigenetic changes in the offspring. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using multiple science databases: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library, on 10 March 2021. RCT and Cohort studies in English or Scandinavian languages were included. Exposure variables included diet, lifestyle, meal patterns or physical activity. Studies using dietary supplements as exposure variables were excluded. Outcome variables included were DNA methylation, microRNA or histone changes in placenta, cord blood or offspring. Two independent authors screened, read and extracted data from the included papers. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2) and The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Cohort Study Checklist were used to assess risk of bias in the included studies. A qualitative approach was employed due to heterogeneity of exposures and results of the studies. RESULTS: 16 studies and 3617 participants were included in the final analysis. The exposure variables included physical activity, carbohydrate, low glycemic index diet, added sugar, fat, Mediterranean diet and pro-inflammatory diet. The outcome variables identified were differences in DNA methylation and microRNA. Most studies described epigenetic changes in either placenta or cord blood. Genes reported to be methylated were GR, HSD2, IGF-2, PLAG1, MEG-3, H19 and RXRA. However, not all studies found epigenetic changes strong enough to pass multiple testing, and the study quality varied. CONCLUSION: Despite the variable quality of the included studies, the results in this review suggest that there may be an association between the mother's lifestyle, diet and level of physical activity during pregnancy and epigenetic changes in the offspring.

Academic Performance in Adolescents Born to Mothers With Gestational Diabetes-A National Danish Cohort Study.

CONTEXT: The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing, and intrauterine hyperglycemia is suspected to affect offspring cognitive function. OBJECTIVE: We assessed academic performance by grade point average (GPA) in children aged 15 to 16 years at compulsory school graduation, comparing offspring exposed to GDM (O-GDM) with offspring from the background population (O-BP). METHODS: This register-based, cohort study comprised all singletons born in Denmark between 1994 and 2001 (O-GDM: n = 4286; O-BP: n = 501 045). Standardized and internationally comparable GPAs were compared in univariate and multivariable linear models. Main outcome measures included the adjusted mean difference in GPA. We also analyzed the probability of having a high GPA, a GPA below passing, and no GPA registered. RESULTS: O-GDM had a GPA of 6.29 (SD 2.52), whereas O-BP had a GPA of 6.78 (SD 2.50). The adjusted mean difference was -0.36 (95% CI, -0.44 to -0.29), corresponding to a Cohen's D of 0.14. O-GDM had a lower probability of obtaining a high GPA (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.68; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.79), while their risk of obtaining a GPA below passing was similar to O-BP (aOR 1.20; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.50). O-GDM had a higher risk of not having a GPA registered (aOR 1.38; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.53). CONCLUSION: Academic performance in O-GDM was marginally lower than in O-BP. However, this difference is unlikely to be of clinical importance.

Changes in insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion during pregnancy and post partum in women with gestational diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: The metabolic abnormalities underlying gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) include increased insulin resistance and beta cell defects, but it is essential to clarify how insulin resistance and insulin secretion develop post partum in order to decide when and how to screen for type 2 diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to characterize and compare changes in insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and hormonal status around parturition and 6 months post partum in women with gestational diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A longitudinal experimental study was performed at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Eight women with GDM were examined at three identical visits: in late pregnancy (LP) between gestational age 34+0 and 36+6, early post partum (EPP) between 12 and 34 days post partum, and late post partum (LPP) 6 months post partum. An intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed, followed by a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Blood samples were collected to assess metabolic, hormonal and inflammatory markers at each visit. RESULTS: First and second phase insulin secretion and C-peptide concentrations were higher in late pregnancy than post partum (p<0.001). Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was different at all three visits: ISILP=0.03±0.004, ISIEPP=0.09±0.008 and ISILPP=0.07±0.008) (p<0.001). Also, significant changes in lipids, leptin, glucagon, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 were seen when comparing the visits. CONCLUSIONS: Insulin sensitivity improves immediately after delivery in women with GDM but seems to deteriorate within the first 6 months post partum. Our findings underline the importance of having an increased awareness of the profound risk of developing type 2 diabetes after GDM. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02770079.

Determinants of Maternal Insulin Resistance during Pregnancy: An Updated Overview.

Insulin resistance changes over time during pregnancy, and in the last half of the pregnancy, insulin resistance increases considerably and can become severe, especially in women with gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Numerous factors such as placental hormones, obesity, inactivity, an unhealthy diet, and genetic and epigenetic contributions influence insulin resistance in pregnancy, but the causal mechanisms are complex and still not completely elucidated. In this review, we strive to give an overview of the many components that have been ascribed to contribute to the insulin resistance in pregnancy. Knowledge about the causes and consequences of insulin resistance is of extreme importance in order to establish the best possible treatment during pregnancy as severe insulin resistance can result in metabolic dysfunction in both mother and offspring on a short as well as long-term basis.

Fatty Liver Among Adolescent Offspring of Women With Type 1 Diabetes (the EPICOM Study).

OBJECTIVE: Intrauterine exposure to maternal type 1 diabetes is associated with a less favorable metabolic profile later in life. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the hepatic manifestation of a cluster of metabolic abnormalities linked to insulin resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of maternal pregestational type 1 diabetes on the presence of fatty liver in offspring and the association between maternal BMI, glycemic control during pregnancy, offspring metabolic risk factors, and offspring level of soluble CD163 (sCD163) (a marker of macrophage activation) and risk of fatty liver. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was a prospective nationwide follow-up study of offspring (n = 278) of mothers with pregestational type 1 diabetes between 1993 and 1999 and matched control subjects (n = 303). Mean age at the time of follow-up was 16.7 years (range 13.0-20.4 years). We used the fatty liver index (FLI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) to evaluate the presence of fatty liver among the offspring. An FLI ≥60 or WHtR >0.469 were used as cutoff points for fatty liver. RESULTS: More type 1 diabetes-exposed offspring had high FLI and WHtR indices compared with unexposed control subjects. We found significant associations between increasing maternal prepregnancy BMI, being born large for gestational age, offspring level of sCD163, as well as offspring metabolic risk factors (decreasing adiponectin and HDL cholesterol and increasing leptin, HOMA of insulin resistance, and HOMA of insulin secretion) and degree of fatty liver. CONCLUSIONS: Intrauterine exposure to maternal type 1 diabetes and higher maternal prepregnancy BMI may predispose to fatty liver in the offspring. Offspring metabolic risk factors, including sCD163 levels, are associated with indices of fatty liver.

Impact of type 1 diabetes on maternal long-term risk of hospitalisation and mortality: a nationwide combined clinical and register-based cohort study (The EPICOM study).

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aims of this study were to examine long-term mortality and morbidity rates in mothers with type 1 diabetes, both overall and according to the level of albuminuria prior to pregnancy, the presence of hypertension, pre-eclampsia and periconceptional HbA1c. METHODS: This study was a part of the EPICOM (Environmental Versus Genetic and Epigenetic Influences on Growth, Metabolism and Cognitive Function in Offspring of Mothers with Type 1 Diabetes) study, which is a prospective follow-up study focusing on pregnancies complicated by maternal type 1 diabetes. We carried out a nationwide combined clinical and register-based cohort study of mortality rates and hospital admissions in mothers with diabetes (n = 986) who gave birth between 1992 and 2000. Control mothers (n = 91,441) were women from the background population, matched according to age and year of childbirth. Age at follow-up was 32-66 years. RESULTS: Mortality rate was increased threefold in mothers with diabetes compared with control mothers (HR 3.41 [95% CI 2.42, 4.81]; p < 0.0001), and was also increased with pre-gestational kidney dysfunction (normoalbuminuria, HR 2.17 [95% CI 1.28, 3.68]; microalbuminuria, HR 3.36 [95% CI 0.82, 13.8]; macroalbuminuria, HR 12.9 [95% CI 5.45, 30.7]). Moreover, the presence of hypertension prior to or at any time during pregnancy and of pre-eclampsia also increased mortality rate (hypertension, HR 4.34 [95% CI 2.13, 8.84]; pre-eclampsia, HR 5.55 [95% CI 2.71, 11.4]). Mortality rate also increased with higher levels of HbA1c in early pregnancy (HbA1c ≤75 mmol/mol [≤9%], HR 2.15 [95% CI 1.31, 3.53]; HbA1c >75 mmol/mol [>9%], HR 6.10 [95% CI 2.67, 14.0]). However, in mothers with diabetes and HbA1c <64 mmol/mol (<8%) in the first trimester and normal pre-gestational urinary albumin excretion rate (n = 517), mortality rate was comparable with that of control mothers. Among mothers with diabetes, mortality rate was associated with HbA1c level: per 11 mmol/mol (1 percentage point) increase in HbA1c, HR was 1.52 (95% CI 1.19, 1.94; p = 0.001). In mothers with diabetes, the overall incidence of hospital admissions was more than double (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 2.69 [95% CI 2.59, 2.80]; p < 0.0001) that of control mothers, as were admissions with various diagnoses from 14 out of 19 ICD-10 chapters. Among mothers with diabetes, the IRR for hospital admissions increased with the level of HbA1c: per 11 mmol/mol (1 percentage point) increase in HbA1c, HR was 1.07 (95% CI 1.04, 1.10; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Overall, mothers with type 1 diabetes have a two- to threefold increase in mortality and morbidity rates. HbA1c levels, level of albuminuria around the time of conception, and the presence of hypertension and pre-eclampsia are important risk factors for mortality/morbidity in this cohort. However, it is reassuring that mothers with type 1 diabetes without kidney complications and with HbA1c <64 mmol/mol (<8%) in early pregnancy have a similar survival potential during the period where they are raising their children to that of control mothers from the background population.