Study finds better ways to diagnose diabetes during pregnancy

Researchers have found a connection between pregnancy weight and certain blood markers in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

The study, which revealed the potential for precision diagnostics in identifying diabetes during pregnancy, showed an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The research highlighted the importance of a more nuanced approach to diagnosing GDM, as traditional treatments haven't been shown to yield consistent outcomes.

Published in Nature Communications Medicine, the findings suggested that exploring non-glycemic markers such as insulin profiles and triglyceride levels could enhance the risk.

"In our full text screening of 775 studies, we found that only recently has there been a focus on clinical, biochemical, or sociocultural markers that could improve who is at greatest risk of poor outcomes, and on comparing clinical outcomes between different subtypes of GDM," said Ellen C Francis, an assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health.

The lead author of the study added, "The data from these studies indicate that in the future, we may be able to refine how we diagnose GDM by using anthropometric or biochemical information in combination with current diagnostic approaches."

Francis underlined the need for further research to establish causal links between insulin resistance, higher triglycerides, and adverse outcomes in pregnancy.

The findings revealed that future diagnostic approaches could integrate anthropometric or biochemical information with current methods.

Further research is recommended, including mechanistic studies on precision biomarkers, diverse population studies, and exploration of genetic and multi-omics data to understand heterogeneity within GDM and its outcomes, suggested the researchers.