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Preconceptual leptin levels in gestational diabetes and hypertensive pregnancy

Antti Peltokorpi1, Lisinen Irina2, Viikari Liisa3

  • 1Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.

Hypertension in Pregnancy
|February 18, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Preconceptual leptin levels were significantly higher in women who later developed gestational diabetes (GDM) or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH/PE). These findings suggest leptin may be an early indicator for these pregnancy complications.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive endocrinology
  • Maternal-fetal medicine
  • Metabolic disorders in pregnancy

Background:

  • Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), preeclampsia (PE), and gestational diabetes (GDM) are common adverse pregnancy outcomes.
  • Leptin, a hormone involved in metabolism and appetite, has been implicated in various pregnancy complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether preconceptual leptin levels differ between women who subsequently develop GDM or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (PIH/PE) and those with uncomplicated pregnancies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study and The Medical Birth Register of Finland.
  • Analyzed preconceptual serum leptin levels in 293 women, categorized into GDM (n=71), PIH/PE (n=27), and control (n=201) groups.

Main Results:

  • Preconceptual leptin levels were significantly elevated in both the GDM group (p < 0.0001) and the PIH/PE group (p = 0.0002) compared to controls.
  • The association between higher leptin levels and GDM remained significant even after adjusting for Body Mass Index (BMI) (p = 0.0081).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated preconceptual leptin levels are associated with an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension/preeclampsia.
  • Leptin may serve as a potential predictive biomarker for adverse pregnancy outcomes like GDM and PIH/PE.

Keywords:
Gestational diabetesleptinpreeclampsiapregnancy-induced hypertension

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