High-Density Lipoproteins-Cholesterol (HDL-C) in Women With Gestational Diabetes (GDM): A Predictor for Large...

Introduction The present study aimed to evaluate the associations between the clinical and biochemical characteristics of women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and the incidence of large for gestational age (LGA) babies. Methods This cohort study included data collected during prenatal follow-up of GDM women from January 2008 to August 2022. Clinical and biochemical variables were compared among small (SGA), adequate (AGA), or large for gestational age (LGA) babies. Associations of the main variables with the incidence of LGA were determined by multiple regression analysis. Results Out of 659 women, 56 had LGA, 547 had AGA, and 56 had SGA babies. We observed differences in the means of age, pregestational body mass index (BMI), high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, gestational weight gain (GWG), and gestational age at birth according to LGA, AGA, and SGA (p < 0.05). All other variables were not different between the groups. The frequencies (%) and relative risk (RR) of LGA babies were evaluated according to HDL-C in the first tertile and/or obesity, with 12.2% and risk ratio (RR)=2.77 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35-5.69, p=0.005) if the women had obesity and HDL in the first tertile, 11.3% and RR=2.27 (95% CI 1.03-5.03, p=0.042) if only HDL in the first tertile was present, 10.9% and RR=2.68 (95% CI 1.31-5.48, p=0.007) if the women had only obesity, using as a reference group those women without obesity or HDL-C in the first tertile (4.6% and RR=1) adjusted for age, age at birth and GWG. Conclusion In women with GDM, lower levels of HDL-cholesterol during pregnancy, as well as pregestational obesity, seem to be good predictors of the occurrence of LGA babies.