New โResearch Links Early Pregnancy Blood Markers to Higher Risk โof Complications in Diabetic Mothers
Aโ recent study published inโฃ BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth reveals a significant association between first-trimesterโข atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) โand triglyceride-glucose (TG/G) indices and adverse pregnancyโข outcomes in women with pregestational diabetes mellitus. Researchers found elevated levels of โthese markers-indicators of insulin resistance andโ lipid metabolism-correlated with increased โคrates of preeclampsia, โpreterm birth, and large for gestational age (LGA)โค infants.
The findings, stemming from a prospective cohort study,โค underscore the critical need for early risk assessment and potentially targeted interventions โfor diabetic women planning โขor experiencing โฃpregnancy. Approximately 1% โคof pregnancies are elaborate by pregestational diabetes, a condition placing both mother and child at heightened risk. Identifying readily measurable biomarkers like โAIP and TG/G during the first trimester could โคallow clinicians to proactively manageโ pregnancies, potentially mitigating severe โcomplications and improving maternal and neonatal โhealth.
The study โinvolved a cohortโค of pregnantโ women with pregestational diabetes. Researchersโฃ assessed first-trimesterโข AIP and TG/G โขindices and trackedโฃ pregnancyโฃ outcomes. Results demonstrated that higher AIP and TG/G โvalues were significantly associatedโฃ with a greater likelihood of developing preeclampsia. Specifically, women inโ the highestโ quartiles โof AIP and TG/Gโ exhibited โsubstantially elevated odds ratios for preeclampsia compared to those in the lowest quartiles.
Furthermore, the research indicated aโ link between elevated AIP and TG/G levels and anโฃ increased risk of preterm birth. Women with higher indices were more likely to deliver before โ37 weeks of gestation. The study also foundโ a positive correlationโ between these markers and theโ birth of LGA infants-babies weighing over 4000 grams atโฃ birth-which canโข lead to delivery complications and long-term health issues for both mother and child.
Researchers, including W. Zhang,โค X. Yuan, โขR. Yang, J.Huang, โขH. โPang, Y. Lu, โY. Zhang, T. Chen, Z. Wang, and G.Li, emphasize โขthe potential for these indices to serveโ as valuable tools in clinical practise. A separate 2025 study published โขinโค J Endocrinol Invest (W,Yuan X,Yang R,Huang J,Pang H,Lu Y,Zhang Y,Chen T,Wang Z,Li G. Assessment ofโ first-trimester insulin resistanceโข indices for gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective โcohort โstudy. 2025;48(9):2167-76) similarly highlighted โฃthe importance of first-trimester insulin resistance โฃassessment. Further research โขis warranted to determine the optimalโ cut-off values for theseโ indices andโ to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing AIP and โคTG/G levels in high-risk pregnancies.
Related research, such as a 2023 study in Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand (Skytte HN, Christensen JJ,โ Gunnes N, Holven KB, Lekva T, Henriksen T, Michelsen TM, Roland MCP. Metabolic โฃprofiling of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia: A longitudinal study. 2023;102(3):334-43),โ supports the broader concept of metabolic profilingโ as a means of predicting and managing pregnancy complications. These findings collectively point towards a growing understanding of the metabolic factors influencing pregnancy outcomes and the potential forโข personalized approaches to prenatalโ care.
