Couples Share High Cardiometabolic Risk After Gestational Diabetes, Study Reveals
Denmark: Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) often share significant cardiometabolic health risks with their partners, highlighting an opportunity for couple-based preventive strategies, according to a recent study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
The research led by Majken Lillholm Pico, MSc, from the Department of Prevention, Health Promotion and Community Care at Copenhagen University Hospital – Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, assessed 196 couples 12 weeks after a GDM-affected pregnancy. Health examinations and questionnaires evaluated overweight or obesity, waist circumference, metabolic syndrome, impaired fasting glucose, stage 1 or higher hypertension, as well as dietary quality and physical activity.
The study led to the following findings:
- Overweight or obesity was observed in 63.3% of women and 71.9% of partners, with 50.5% of couples sharing this condition.
- High waist circumference was recorded in 78.6% of women and 55.1% of partners, with concordance in 48.5% of couples.
- Metabolic syndrome was found in 9.2% of women and 24.0% of partners, with 5.1% of couples affected together.
- Impaired fasting glucose affected 7.7% of women and 9.2% of partners, with both partners affected in 1.5% of couples.
- Stage 1 or higher hypertension occurred in 31.1% of women and 55.6% of partners, with 8.2% of couples having concordant cases.
- Having a cardiometabolic condition in one partner was linked to a higher likelihood of the same condition in the other, independent of demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors, except for male partners with stage 1 hypertension, where adjustments explained the association.
The authors noted that detecting GDM could serve as an early warning sign for identifying partners at risk, paving the way for family-focused interventions targeting diet, exercise, and weight control.
However, several limitations were acknowledged. The cross-sectional design restricts conclusions about causality, and the timing—just 12 weeks postpartum—may overestimate overweight prevalence in women. Lifestyle behaviours at this stage may also not reflect long-term patterns. Furthermore, the cut-offs used for overweight, obesity, and waist circumference were based on European standards, potentially misclassifying participants of non-European origin (around 10% of the sample).
The researchers also pointed out that physical activity measures might have been overestimated due to the questionnaire method, and the absence of a comparison group without GDM made it difficult to determine whether these risks are unique to such couples. Additionally, couples participating in the study tended to have more favourable socioeconomic profiles, which may limit generalizability.
Despite these constraints, the findings highlight the need for couple-oriented prevention strategies in the aftermath of GDM. “The high prevalence and concordance of cardiometabolic markers suggest that interventions involving both partners could amplify health benefits,” the authors noted. Such approaches, integrated into broader diabetes prevention programs, could support early risk detection and sustained lifestyle improvements.
"Further research is warranted to determine how effectively couple-based programs can reduce cardiometabolic risks in families affected by GDM and improve long-term health outcomes for both partners," they concluded.
Reference:
Pico ML, Maindal HT, Grunnet LG, Damm P, Jensen DM, Ovesen P, Dahl-Petersen IK, Vinter CA, Kampmann U, Mathiesen ER, Nielsen KK; Face‐it Study Group. Prevalence and concordance of cardiometabolic risk markers and health behaviour among couples after a gestational diabetes mellitus-affected pregnancy. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025 Aug 8. doi: 10.1111/dom.70017. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40776803.
