JCEM: Relationship between blood sugar and vascular structure and function in children

For women without diabetes, the effects of high blood sugar during pregnancy on the cardiovascular structure and function of offspring are poorly knownIn a recent study published in the journal Journal of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, researchers investigated the relationship between blood sugar in pregnant women and their children's cardiovascular risk markersat about 26 weeks of pregnancy, pregnant women were tested for 75g oral glucose tolerance and measured fasting blood sugar (FPG) and plasma blood sugar (2 hours PPPG) concentrations 2 hours after mealsGestational diabetes (GDM) is defined according to WHO 1999 diagnostic criteriaAt the age of 6, the researchers measured the mid-layer thickness (cIMT), the pulse wave velocity of the carotid artery (cfPWV), the aortic dilatum dilation index (Aix) and blood pressure (BP) in the children's 6 years of age, and analyzed the relationship between blood sugar and the child's cardiovascular risk markers during pregnancy using multiple linear and Logistic regressionresearchers analyzed 479 pairs of mothers and childrenHigher maternal FPG is associated with higher cIMT in boys, associated with higher cfPWV in children (corrected beta (CI 95%), cIMT for every 10mm increase of 0.08 (0.02-0.15) and cfPWV at 0.36 m/s (0.01-0.70))Higher 2-hour PPPG is associated with higher cfPWV and AIxGDM is associated with higher AIxNo association was found between the blood sugar of pregnant women and the blood pressure of their childrenit was followed that in mothers without diabetes, elevated blood sugar during pregnancy was associated with mild structural and functional changes in blood vessels in children of 6 yearsThese results support the need to monitor the blood sugar of pregnant women during pregnancy in the absence of diabetes or diagnosis of gestational diabetes