Late pregnancy blood pressure in nulliparas and subsequent abnormal glucose tolerance

A growing body of evidence indicates that pregnancy-induced hypertension can be associated with features of insulin resistance. However, the impact of lower than hypertension-levels of blood pressure in pregnancy on the subsequent risk of developing abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT), has not been examined. We investigated women born in the years 1933-1956 and living in the municipality of Savitaipale, Finland, in May 1996. Prevalence of AGT was assessed by using oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). A retrospective chart review was carried out with regard to 216 nulliparas to obtain late pregnancy blood pressures. Logistic regression analyses showed that, after adjusting for body mass index (BMI) and age at OGTT, as well as for the number of subsequent pregnancies and the use of antihypertensive medication for PIH, 1 mmHg increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure at late pregnancy in nulliparas increased the probability for AGT later in life 1.04-fold (OR, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.09) and 1.06-fold (OR, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.11), respectively. The results of this study suggest that not only hypertension but also less elevated levels of blood pressure during late pregnancy in nulliparas may be used as a predictor of subsequent AGT.