What changes occur in the heart of an obese pregnant woman with gestational diabetes?

Recently, the journal Diabetes Care published a study to see if women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the third trimester of pregnancy exhibited adverse heart changes

Research overview

The study recruited 38 healthy pregnant women and 30 women

Results of the study

The participants' age, gestational age and ethnicity matched

➤ Women with gestational diabetes had a higher BMI (27 ± 4 vs.

➤ There was no difference

➤ Women with gestational diabetes mellitus had a lower ratio of myocardial PCr to ATP (2.

➤ Despite similar ventricular ejection fractions, women with gestational diabetes had lower GLS (-20%± 3% vs.
-18% ± 3%; P = 0.
008）
。

Conclusion of the study

Although diabetes has not been previously diagnosed, obese women with gestational diabetes show impaired myocardial contractility and increased left ventricular mass compared to thin women with healthy pregnancies, which are associated
with decreased myocardial energy in the third trimester.

These findings may help us understand the long-term cardiovascular risks
associated with gestational diabetes.

Compiled by: Thirunavukarasu S, Ansari F, Cubbon R, Forbes K, Bucciarelli-Ducci C, Newby DE, Dweck MR, Rider OJ, Valkovič L, Rodgers CT, Tyler DJ, Chowdhary A, Jex N, Kotha S, Morley L, Xue H, Swoboda P, Kellman P, Greenwood JP, Plein S, Everett T, Scott E, Levelt E.
Maternal Cardiac Changes in Women With Obesity and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.
Diabetes Care.
2022 Sep 12:dc220401.
doi: 10.
2337/dc22-0401.
Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 36099225.