Subclinical inflammation and vascular dysfunction in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus

A history of gestational diabetes (GDM) significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is not known whether nondiabetic women with prior GDM are also at increased risk of CVD.

The aim of this study was to compare biochemical and hemodynamic surrogate markers of CVD in nondiabetic women with and without a history of GDM who were at least 1 yr post delivery.

This was a single center cross-sectional study.

The study was performed in an academic referral center.

Forty-eight premenopausal healthy women with a history of GDM (n = 25) or a history of normal pregnancy (n = 23) were studied in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.

The main outcome measures were: 1) inflammatory markers associated with CVD including C-reactive protein, IL-6, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; 2) the adipokine adiponectin; and 3) conduit vessel stiffness.

When compared to normal controls, women with prior GDM had higher mean levels of C-reactive protein (3.58 +/- 3.86 vs. 0.52 +/- 0.16 mg/liter; P < 0.001), IL-6 (1.81 +/- 1.04 vs. 0.99 +/- 0.52 pg/ml; P = 0.001), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (29.6 +/- 17.6 vs. 16.5 +/- 14.0 ng/ml; P = 0.001), and lower levels of adiponectin (8.9 +/- 3.9 vs. 15.9 +/- 7.3 microg/ml; P = 0.001). Women with prior GDM also had significantly (P

Nondiabetic women with prior GDM have evidence of subclinical inflammation, hypoadiponectinemia, and early vascular dysfunction; this population may be at increased risk of developing CVD.