When diabetes develops in a previously healthy woman during pregnancy it is termed gestational diabetes. It is similar to Type 2 diabetes and women who suffer gestational diabetes have a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. Researchers in the Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Puerta del Mar, in Cadiz, Spain, looked at women with a history of gestational diabetes to ascertain their levels of inflammation and risk of the metabolic syndrome and heart and blood vessel disease.
Their study, published in the medical journal Cytokine in November 2011 included:
63 women with gestational diabetes, and63 healthy pregnant women.Women with gestational diabetes had:
a higher body mass index (BMI) before their pregnancy,higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha),higher leptin levels, andlower adiponectin levels than the healthy women.The body mass index is a measure of height and weight and is closely related to the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. One particular study, published in 2006, associated obesity with a 16 times higher risk of Type 2 diabetes compared with normal weight individuals, and a high waist size was associated with a 20 times higher risk than that of a normal sized waist.
Heart and blood vessel disease, an important complication of Type 2 diabetes, is associated with being overweight and obesity. TNF-alpha is a protein made by the body's white blood cells to fight infections and cancer. When it is made in overly large quantities for too long it can be associated with inflammation. Diabetes is an inflammatory condition and has been associated with TNF-alpha. Several heart and blood vessel diseases are also associated with elevated levels of TNF-alpha. A study published in the Chinese Medical Journal in July of this year showed a possible link betwen TNF-alpha levels and irregular heartbeats. (Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease also associated with high TNF-alpha levels, and sometimes associated with diabetes).
Leptin is a hormone involved in fat metabolism. It is produced by fat cells and could be a signal to the brain that fat is present. Some studies suggest it has to do with pancreatic beta cells and their production of insulin. More study is needed before its complete role in the body is fully understood.
Adiponectin is a hormone that plays a role in the breakdown of fat and the regulation of blood sugar. Low levels are associated with a high risk of Type 2 diabetes. Low levels have also been found in the presence of heart and blood vessel disease.
Researchers concluded having a higher body mass index before pregnancy could be linked to the future development of Type 2 diabetes and heart and blood vessel disease. Women considering pregnancy should normalize their weight before conception for their future health and that of their children.
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