Increased risk of Ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus: A retrospective cross-sectional study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i3.2544Keywords:
Gestational diabetes, Long-term monitoring, Preventative measures, Type 2 diabetes, Metabolic disorders, Cardiovascular diseaseAbstract
Background
Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at increased risk of developing long-term metabolic and cardiovascular complications.
Objective: To assess the incidence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and ischemic heart disease (IHD) in women with previous GDM.
Methods
This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Purnea, Bihar, over one year. A total of 100 women with a history of GDM were included. Data were collected from hospital records, including age, duration since pregnancy, and occurrence of T2DM, hypertension, and IHD. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test, with p<0.05 considered significant.
Results
The majority of women (45%) were aged 30–40 years. The incidence of T2DM, hypertension, and IHD was 24%, 25%, and 11%, respectively. A statistically significant association was found between duration since GDM and development of T2DM (p=0.024), hypertension (p=0.00015), and IHD (p=0.010).
Conclusion
Women with a history of GDM are at increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Long-term follow-up and early preventive interventions are essential.
Recommendation
Routine screening for diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease should be implemented in women with prior GDM.
References
Karin Hildén, Anders Magnuson SM, Ulf Hanson, David Simmons HB. Previous pre‐eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and the risk of cardiovascular disease: A nested case- control study in Sweden, Karin. BJOG. 2023;130:1209-16.https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17454 PMid:36974033
Sundquist K, Johansson SE, Memon AA, Calling S, Ohlsson H, Szulkin R, et al. Elucidating causal effects of type 2 diabetes on ischemic heart disease from observational data on middle ‑ aged Swedish women : a triangular analytical approach, International Classification of Diseases. Sci Rep [Internet]. 2021;11(12579):1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92071-9 PMid:34131261 PMCid:PMC8206102
Daly B, Toulis KA, Thomas N, Gokhale K, Martin J, Webber J, et al. Increased risk of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus, a target group in general practice for preventive interventions : A population-based cohort study. PLOS Med. 2018;15(1):1-15.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002488 PMid:29337985 PMCid:PMC5770032
Liu X, Nianogo RA, Janzen C, Fei Z, Seamans MJ, Wen R, et al. Association Between Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension : A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis of Cohort Studies With a Quantitative Bias Analysis of Uncontrolled Confounding. Hypertension. 2024;81(June):1257-68.https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.22418 PMid:38501243
Mao Y, Hu W, Xia B, Liu L, Han X, Liu Q. Association Between Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and the Risks of Type-Specific Cardiovascular Diseases. Front Public Health. 2022;10(July):1-10.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.940335 PMid:35865249 PMCid:PMC9294140
Christensen MH, Rubin KH, Petersen TG, Nohr EA, Vinter CA, Andersen MS, et al. Cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus : a nationwide register ‑ based cohort study. Cardiovasc Diabetol [Internet]. 2022;2(179):1-13.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12933-022-01609-2 PMid:36085031 PMCid:PMC9463733
Bakiris E, Luiro K, Jokelainen J, Morin-L, Kiukaanniemi SK, Kaikkonen K, et al. Women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus present an accumulation of cardiovascular risk factors at age 46 - A birth cohort study. Acta Obs Gynecol Scand. 2024;103(March):1318-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14861 PMid:38725232 PMCid:PMC11168273
Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Huang S, Li M. Influence of gestational diabetes mellitus on the cardiovascular system and its underlying mechanisms. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2025;16(May):1-16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2025.1474643 PMid:40453589 PMCid:PMC12122306
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mujtaba Ashraf , Prem Prakash
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
