Women with gestational diabetes are highly prone to pregnancy complications: Study

A new study published in the Journal of American Heart Association suggests that preeclampsia, acute renal injury, peripartum cardiomyopathy, stroke, and arrhythmias during labor and delivery hospitals were all more common in people with gestational diabetes (GD).

A higher risk of long-term cardiovascular problems is linked to gestational diabetes. However, there is a lack of reliable information regarding acute peripartum cardiovascular problems. To ascertain the relationship between GD and acute cardiovascular outcomes at the time of delivery hospitalization, Salman Zahid and colleagues undertook this study.

Researchers used information from the National Inpatient Sample for this investigation (2004–2019). Hospital deliveries were coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD9) or Tenth Revision (ICD10).

The key findings of this study were:

1. There were 63 115 002 hospitalizations for births overall, of which 3.9% were people with GD (n=2 435 301).

2. Over the course of the trial, both GD and obesity were more common (P trends 0.01).

3. Obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were more common in those with GD than in people without GD.

4. Age, race or ethnicity, insurance, comorbidities, and income were all taken into account, however the independent relationship between GD and cardiovascular problems such preeclampsia, acute renal damage, peripartum cardiomyopathy, stroke, and arrhythmias remained.

5. Additionally, hospital stays for deliveries were longer (3 against 2 days, P0.01) and more expensive ($4909 versus $3682, P0.01) for people with GD.

6. The risk of cardiovascular disease in GD was raised even in the absence of preeclampsia.

In conclusion, According to this study, those with GD experienced greater rates of cardiovascular complications, such as preeclampsia, pulmonary edema, PPCM, stroke, and cardiac arrhythmia, during delivery hospitalizations in the United States during a 15-year period than people without GD. To effectively plan for the prevention and care of acute and long-term pregnancy-associated cardiovascular problems in people with GD, further targeted research is required.

Reference:

Zahid, S., Hashem, A., Minhas, A. S., Bennett, W. L., Honigberg, M. C., Lewey, J., Davis, M. B., & Michos, E. D. (2022). Trends, Predictors, and Outcomes of Cardiovascular Complications at Delivery Associated With Gestational Diabetes: A National Inpatient Sample Analysis (2004–2019). In Journal of the American Heart Association. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.122.026786