{"id":45815,"date":"2017-02-14T07:55:47","date_gmt":"2017-02-14T12:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815"},"modified":"2017-02-14T07:55:47","modified_gmt":"2017-02-14T12:55:47","slug":"gestational-diabetes-may-increase-risk-of-heart-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815","title":{"rendered":"Gestational Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Heart Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was at the end of my second trimester, and the nurse filled a disposable cup with 50 grams of glucose powder \u2013 a tad less than the amount of sugar in a 16-ounce bottle of Coke \u2013 and sent me to the water fountain to dilute it.<\/p>\n

I dutifully drank the sugary concoction that constituted the first part of the glucose screening test, a routine procedure used to help determine whether pregnant women have gestational diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance that first becomes apparent during pregnancy. As I waited the required one hour until the nurse could draw my blood, I wasn\u2019t particularly concerned. After all, I figured, even if I did have gestational diabetes, all it meant was a few months of careful eating and then the condition would disappear by the time I got to meet my baby.<\/p>\n

I ended up being lucky enough to pass the glucose test in all my pregnancies, but as for the assumptions I made \u2013 well, they may have been commonplace, but it turns out they weren\u2019t completely accurate. That\u2019s because while gestational diabetes, which affects an estimated 5 percent to 9 percent<\/a> of pregnancies, does disappear with delivery, it also leaves something behind: an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease for the mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cA woman with a history of gestational diabetes has a very high risk of developing diabetes later in life, even if their sugar goes back to normal after pregnancy, and that puts them at increased cardiovascular disease risk,\u201d said Dr. Erin Michos, the associate director of preventive cardiology at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, and an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. \u201cMany women have no idea that this is a cardiovascular disease risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gestational diabetes is more prevalent<\/a> than it was in the 1990s, and the increasing numbers of women who exhibit glucose intolerance when pregnant have more than seven times the risk<\/a> of developing type 2 diabetes by the time that child is 10, compared with women who didn\u2019t have gestational diabetes.<\/p>\n

Another way of putting it is that between 35 percent and 60 percent<\/a> of women who have had gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within a decade of delivery.<\/p>\n

Those women with gestational diabetes who go on to develop type 2 are not necessarily the only ones who have to worry about heart disease, though.<\/p>\n

There have been mixed findings as to whether gestational diabetes is an independent risk factor for heart disease or contributes to elevated risk because of other factors, such as obesity and the onset of type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n

Researchers at Soroka Medical Center in Israel are among those who found gestational diabetes to be a risk factor for heart disease in its own right. They based their conclusions on a large study<\/a> of 47,909 deliveries at the hospital, published in the journal Heart in 2013, that followed patients for more than a decade and compared the cardiovascular complications and related hospitalizations of the 10 percent of women in the study who had gestational diabetes with the rest of the women who gave birth during the same period.<\/p>\n

And a 2014 study<\/a> in the Journal of the American Heart Association looked at 898 women between the ages of 18 and 30 and found that the artery walls of those with gestational diabetes were thicker, a measurement sometimes used as a proxy for cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur research shows that just having a history of gestational diabetes elevates a woman\u2019s risk of developing early atherosclerosis,\u201d epidemiologist and study lead author Erica Gunderson, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, said in a statement. \u201cPregnancy has been under-recognized as an important time period that can signal a woman\u2019s greater risk for future heart disease. This signal is revealed by gestational diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what does this link connecting gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes and heart disease mean for women who have had glucose intolerance during pregnancy?<\/p>\n

Medical experts like Michos and Dr. Ellen Wells Seely, a Harvard Medical School professor who heads the clinical research, endocrinology, diabetes and hypertension division at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital in Boston, focus on the need for increased awareness of that connection \u2013 among doctors as well as patients.<\/p>\n

They suggest that women who have had pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia should tell their doctors about it, get regular glucose screening tests, and institute lifestyle changes like eating healthier and exercising more.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the American Heart Association issued guidelines<\/a> in 2011 instructing health care professionals to take a history of pregnancy complications. The guidelines note this is particularly important because heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in every major developed country and most emerging economies, and death rates for coronary heart disease among U.S. women aged 35-54 appear to be on the rise.<\/p>\n

Yet doctors may too readily dismiss women\u2019s complaints of potential cardiac symptoms because they don\u2019t match the classic profile of how a heart attack patient looks and feels, said Seely.<\/p>\n

Take a woman who shows up at a hospital or health clinic with chest pressure. \u201cIf she\u2019s a young, otherwise healthy woman, people might say, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s esophageal reflex,\u2019 and send her home,\u201d said Seely.<\/p>\n

\u201cClinically, we\u2019re really trying to get out the word that caregivers need to get a pregnancy history,\u201d she said, adding that doctors need to \u201cconsider these pregnancy complications as risk factors for heart disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michos said she encourages patients to discuss their pregnancy histories with their doctors. She recommends that women who had gestational diabetes get their sugar levels measured in the first year after birth, and at least every three years after that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe baby comes, they\u2019re busy being a mom, and they don\u2019t realize they\u2019re at risk,\u201d said Michos. \u201cMany women are being caretakers for other people and they don\u2019t prioritize their own heart health.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":252,"featured_media":45918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1461],"tags":[1404],"yoast_head":"\nGestational Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Heart Disease<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Women with gestational diabetes who go on to develop type 2 diabetes are not necessarily the only ones who have to worry about heart disease.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shoshana Kordova\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815\",\"name\":\"Gestational Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Heart Disease\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/gestational-diabetes-may-go-away-when-baby-arrives-but-heart-disease-risk-remains-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-14T12:55:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-02-14T12:55:47+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/568fab61558fa7c95225571b3999dd05\"},\"description\":\"Women with gestational diabetes who go on to develop type 2 diabetes are not necessarily the only ones who have to worry about heart disease.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/gestational-diabetes-may-go-away-when-baby-arrives-but-heart-disease-risk-remains-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/gestational-diabetes-may-go-away-when-baby-arrives-but-heart-disease-risk-remains-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"Gestational Diabetes May Go Away When Baby Arrives, but Heart Disease Risk Remains\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Gestational Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Heart Disease\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\",\"name\":\"ASweetLife\",\"description\":\"The Diabetes Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/568fab61558fa7c95225571b3999dd05\",\"name\":\"Shoshana Kordova\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a86a05ecc069a451e4c5750777fa58d9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a86a05ecc069a451e4c5750777fa58d9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shoshana Kordova\"},\"description\":\"Shoshana Kordova is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in publications including Smithsonian, Prevention, Quartz, The Daily Beast and (former) New York Times parenting blog Motherlode. She is the co-founder of Have Faith, Will Parent, a virtual meeting place for parents of different religions. @shoshanakordova\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=252\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Gestational Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Heart Disease","description":"Women with gestational diabetes who go on to develop type 2 diabetes are not necessarily the only ones who have to worry about heart disease.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shoshana Kordova","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815","name":"Gestational Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Heart Disease","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/gestational-diabetes-may-go-away-when-baby-arrives-but-heart-disease-risk-remains-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2017-02-14T12:55:47+00:00","dateModified":"2017-02-14T12:55:47+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/568fab61558fa7c95225571b3999dd05"},"description":"Women with gestational diabetes who go on to develop type 2 diabetes are not necessarily the only ones who have to worry about heart disease.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/gestational-diabetes-may-go-away-when-baby-arrives-but-heart-disease-risk-remains-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/gestational-diabetes-may-go-away-when-baby-arrives-but-heart-disease-risk-remains-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"Gestational Diabetes May Go Away When Baby Arrives, but Heart Disease Risk Remains"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=45815#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Gestational Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Heart Disease"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/","name":"ASweetLife","description":"The Diabetes Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/568fab61558fa7c95225571b3999dd05","name":"Shoshana Kordova","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a86a05ecc069a451e4c5750777fa58d9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a86a05ecc069a451e4c5750777fa58d9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shoshana Kordova"},"description":"Shoshana Kordova is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in publications including Smithsonian, Prevention, Quartz, The Daily Beast and (former) New York Times parenting blog Motherlode. She is the co-founder of Have Faith, Will Parent, a virtual meeting place for parents of different religions. @shoshanakordova","url":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?author=252"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45815"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/252"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45815"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45916,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45815\/revisions\/45916"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}