By Colin Kenny, GP, Dromore
Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder that affects 5–8% of pregnancies and can lead to both new-onset hypertension and proteinuria. This in turn can lead to insulin resistance and relative glucose intolerance. The UK-based investigators, while recognising that previous data had been conflicting, conducted a meta-analysis of a total of 21 studies with more than 2.8 million women, including more than 72,500 women with pre-eclampsia.
They found that the risk of developing diabetes appeared in studies that followed women from less than 1 year postpartum and persisted to more than 10 years postpartum. After adjusting for BMI and gestational diabetes, the link between pre-eclampsia and an increased risk of future diabetes remained. They recommended that screening for diabetes should be extended to this high-risk population.
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