Prediabetes increases the risk of cardiometabolic disorders, including diabetes, heart disease, and kidney damage. Researchers have now found that prediabetes can also negatively impact pregnancy outcomes in younger people, providing more evidence of the profound impact of prediabetes.
When blood sugar levels rise, but are not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes, this condition is called prediabetes. Research shows that early intervention, especially through lifestyle changes, in the pre-diabetes stage is critical to preventing progression to diabetes and other serious diseases.
The incidence of prediabetes among U.S. teenagers has doubled in the past decade and now affects nearly one-third of those aged 12 to 19, according to researchers in the new study.
The team found that people who had prediabetes before conception more than doubled their risk of developing gestational diabetes in their first pregnancy. Prediabetes in adolescence is also associated with an 18% increased risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia or premature birth, according to the UK Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. study The results were published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
The findings are based on New York City birth records, hospital discharge data and A1C registries from 2009 to 2017 on more than 14,000 individuals.
Researchers evaluated hemoglobin A1c levels, which reflect average blood sugar over the past three months, to estimate the most accurate predictor of gestational diabetes during first pregnancies in teens and young adults. The optimal threshold was slightly lower for young adults than for adults (5.6% vs. 5.7%).
“This study is an important step toward optimal pregnancy outcomes in cardiometabolic health across the life course. The findings demonstrate the opportunity to invest in adolescent health to promote healthy pregnancies later in life,” senior author Teresa Janevic said in an article. Press release.
Based on the findings, the researchers recommend establishing clear clinical guidelines for screening and counseling young people with elevated blood sugar levels, even in the absence of other risk factors.
“The lack of uniform guidelines for the treatment of pre-pregnancy prediabetes in adolescents may mean missed opportunities to avoid pregnancy-related complications. Our findings support the expansion of pre-pregnancy HbA1c screening as a mechanism for intervening in excess cardiometabolic risk early in the life course. ” says corresponding author Katherine McCarthy.