Maternal diabetes tied to poor blood sugar control and complications among youth with type 2 diabetes

The authors reported the following findings:

• Maternal (but not paternal) diabetes was linked with loss of blood sugar control over time, defined as HbA1c of more than 8% for over six months.
• Maternal (but not paternal) diabetes after 12 years of follow-up was linked with an increased risk of low heart rate variability and glomerular hyperfiltration.
• Effects were largely independent of sex, race/ethnicity, age, and household income.
• The outcomes were similar for whether maternal diabetes was diagnosed during vs after pregnancy.

To conclude, maternal diabetes, irrespective of whether diagnosed after versus during pregnancy, is linked with glomerular hyperfiltration, worse glycemic control, and lower heart rate variability in youth with type 2 diabetes. The strong link between diabetes outcomes with maternal diabetes indicates a possible role in utero programming.

Reference:

Rachana D Shah, MD, MS, Steven D Chernausek, MD, Laure El ghormli, MS, Mitchell E Geffner, MD, Joyce Keady, RN MSN CPNP, Megan M Kelsey, MD, MS, Ryan Farrell, MD, Bereket Tesfaldet, MS, Jeanie B Tryggestad, MD, Michelle Van Name, MD, Elvira Isganaitis, MD, MPH, Maternal Diabetes in Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Is Associated with Progressive Dysglycemia and Risk of Complications, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2022;, dgac663, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgac663