Impact of maternal income on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in primiparous women

Aims Findings concerning the impact of socio-economic status on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are inconclusive and little is known about the simultaneous impact of income and educational attainment on the risk of GDM. This study aims to assess the impact of maternal prepregnancy income in combination with traditional GDM risk factors on the incidence of GDM in primiparous women. Methods This is an observational cohort study including 5962 Finnish women aged >= 20 years from the city of Vantaa, Finland, who delivered for the first time between 2009 and 2015, excluding women with pre-existing diabetes mellitus. The Finnish Medical Birth Register, Finnish Tax Administration, Statistics Finland, Social Insurance Institution of Finland and patient healthcare records provided data for the study. We divided the study population according to five maternal income levels and four educational attainment levels. Results Incidence of GDM decreased with increasing income level in primiparous women (P <0.001 for linearity, adjusted for smoking, age, BMI and cohabiting status). In an adjusted two-way model, the relationship was significant for both income (P = 0.007) and education (P = 0.039), but there was no interaction between income and education (P = 0.52). Conclusions There was an inverse relationship between both maternal prepregnancy taxable income and educational attainment, and the risk of GDM in primiparous Finnish women.Peer reviewe

Body surface area at birth and later risk for gestational diabetes mellitus among primiparous women

AimsTo assess the relationship between body surface area (BSA) at birth and future risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).MethodsThis is an observational cohort study from Vantaa, Finland. The cohort included 1548 Finnish primiparous women, aged 15-28 years, without pre-existing diabetes, who gave birth 2009-2015. All women were born full-term and had complete information about their birth weight and length, from the Finnish Medical Birth Register. Additional data for the study were provided by individual patient health records and Statistics Finland. Study participants were divided into five levels (I-V) according to BSA at birth, based on normal distribution.ResultsThere was an inverse association between BSA at birth and risk for GDM (p=0.015 for linearity, after adjustments for age, educational attainment, pre-pregnancy BMI and smoking). The odds ratio (OR) for GDM in level V, with the largest BSA at birth, compared with level I, with the smallest BSA at birth, was 0.43 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.83]; adjusted for age, educational attainment, pre-pregnancy body mass index and smoking. The OR for GDM was 0.8 (95% CI 0.68-0.95, p=0.009) for each one standard deviation increase in BSA at birth, adjusted for the same confounders. BSA at birth correlated with adult anthropometry: correlation coefficients were r=0.16 (95% CI 0.11-0.21) for weight, r=0.31 (95% CI 0.26-0.35) for height, and r=0.06 (95% CI 0.01-0.11) for BMI.ConclusionsBody surface area at birth is inversely associated with future risk for GDM in primiparous women.Peer reviewe

Ultra-high frequency ultrasound delineated changes in carotid and muscular artery intima-media and adventitia thickness in obese early middle-aged women

Obesity is linked to increased arterial size, carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness. The effects of obesity and body composition on muscular artery intima-media and adventitia thickness has previously not been established. The aim of this study was to explore associations between carotid and muscular artery wall layer thickness with body composition and cardiovascular risk factors in early middle-aged women. This is a cross-sectional study including 199 women aged 40 +/- 4 years. Arterial lumen (LD), intima-media (IMT) and adventitia thickness (AT) were measured from carotid, brachial and radial arteries using ultra-high frequency ultrasound (22-71 MHz). Women with obesity had increased IMT in carotid (0.47 vs 0.45 mm), brachial (0.19 vs 0.17 mm) and radial arteries (0.16 vs 0.15 mm) and increased brachial AT (0.14 vs 0.13 mm). In multiple regression models all arterial LD (beta-range 0.02-0.03 mm/kg/m(2)), IMT (beta-range 0.91-3.37 mu m/kg/m(2)), AT (beta-range 0.73-1.38 mu m/kg/m(2)) were significantly associated with BMI. The IMT of all arteries were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure (beta-range 0.36-0.85 mu m/mmHg), attenuating the association between IMT and BMI (beta-range 0.18-2.24 mu m/kg/m(2)). Obese early middle-aged women have increased arterial intima media thickness and brachial artery adventitia thickness compared to non-obese counterparts. The association between BMI and intima-media thickness is partly mediated through blood pressure levels.Peer reviewe

Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes : Impact on arterial wall layer thickness and stiffness in early childhood - RADIEL study six-year follow-up

Background and aims: Gestational diabetes (GDM) and maternal obesity are linked to weight gain in childhood and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. We assessed the effects of GDM and maternal obesity on arterial function and morphology in relation to body anthropometrics and composition in early childhood. Methods: We assessed body size and composition, blood pressure (BP), arterial morphology and stiffness in 201 pairs of obese mothers (pre-pregnancy BMI 30.7 +/- 5.6 kg/m(2), 96 with GDM) and their children at 6.1 years (SD 0.5). Results: Child BMI (z-score 0.45 +/- 0.92; p <0.001) and common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT, z-score 0.15 +/- 0.75, p=0.003) were increased compared with a healthy Finnish reference population. No associations with maternal GDM was found. Carotid IMT and pulse wave velocity were unrelated to child sex, anthropometrics, body composition, BP, as well as maternal anthropometrics and body composition. Carotid stiffness was independently predicted by second trimester fasting glucose. Child lean body mass was the strongest independent predictor for radial (RA), and brachial artery (BA) lumen diameter (LD) and BA IMT (LD: RA: r(2)=0.068, p <0.001; BA: r(2)=0.108, p <0.001; IMT: BA: r(2)=0.161, p <0.001) and carotid LD (r(2)=0.066, p <0.001). Conclusions: Children of obese mothers have increased BMI, blood pressure and carotid IMT suggesting a transgenerational effect of maternal obesity and clustering of cardiovascular risk factors in the population. Arterial dimensions were mainly predicted by child LBM, and not associated with maternal or child adiposity, or GDM. There was a weak association with maternal gestational fasting glucose and increased carotid artery stiffness.Peer reviewe

No effect of gestational diabetes or pre-gestational obesity on 6-year offspring left ventricular function-RADIEL study follow-up

Aims We aimed to investigate associations between pre-pregnancy obesity, gestational diabetes (GDM), offspring body composition, and left ventricular diastolic and systolic function in early childhood. Methods This is an observational study, including 201 mother-child pairs originating from the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study (RADIEL; 96 with GDM, 128 with pre-pregnancy obesity) with follow-up from gestation to 6-year postpartum. Follow-up included dyads anthropometrics, body composition, blood pressure, and child left ventricular function with comprehensive echocardiography (conventional and strain imaging). Results Offspring left ventricular diastolic and systolic function was not associated with gestational glucose concentrations, GDM, or pregravida obesity. Child body fat percentage correlated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI in the setting of maternal obesity (r = 0.23,P = 0.009). After adjusting for child lean body mass, age, sex, systolic BP, resting HR, maternal lean body mass, pre-gestational BMI, and GDM status, child left atrial volume increased by 0.3 ml (95% CI 0.1, 0.5) for each 1% increase in child body fat percentage. Conclusions No evidence of foetal cardiac programming related to GDM or maternal pre-pregnancy obesity was observed in early childhood. Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is associated with early weight gain. Child adiposity in early childhood is independently associated with increased left atrial volume, but its implications for long-term left ventricle diastolic function and cardiovascular health remain unknown.Peer reviewe

Effect of maternal lifestyle intervention on metabolic health and adiposity of offspring : Findings from the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study (RADIEL)

Aim. - To assess in women at high risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) the effect of a lifestyle intervention on the metabolic health of their offspring around 5 years after delivery. Methods. - For the original Finnish gestational diabetes prevention study (RADIEL), 720 women with a prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) >= 30 kg/m(2) and/or previous GDM were enrolled before or during early pregnancy and allocated to either an interventional (n = 126) or conventional (n = 133) care group. The present 5-year follow-up substudy assessed the metabolic health outcomes of their offspring. Ageand gender-standardized residuals of metabolic health components (waist circumference, mean arterial pressure, high-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels, and fasting insulin/glucose ratio) were also combined to determine the accumulation of metabolic effects. Body composition was assessed by electrical bioimpedance. Results. - Offspring of women in the intervention group had a less optimal metabolic profile after the 5-year follow-up compared with offspring in the usual care group (P = 0.014). This difference in metabolic health was primarily related to lipid metabolism, and was more prominent among boys (P = 0.001) than girls (P = 0.74). Neither GDM, gestational weight gain, prepregnancy BMI, offspring age nor timing of randomization (before or during pregnancy) could explain the detected difference, which was also more pronounced among the offspring of GDM pregnancies (P= 0.010). Offspring body composition was similar in both groups (P> 0.05). Conclusion. - The lifestyle intervention aimed at GDM prevention was associated with unfavourable metabolic outcomes among offspring at around 5 years of age. (C) 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Ideal Cardiovascular Health and Vascular Phenotype Associations in Mothers with Obesity and Their Six-Year-Old Children

Background: Heredity and family-shared lifestyle contribute to cardiovascular risk, but the magnitude of their influence on arterial structure and function in early childhood is unknown. We aimed to assess associations between child and maternal ideal cardiovascular health, maternal subclinical atherosclerosis, and child arterial phenotype. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 201 mother-child pairs originating from the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study (RADIEL) longitudinal cohort was done at child age 6.1 +/- 0.5 years with assessments of ideal cardiovascular health (BMI, blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, diet quality, physical activity, smoking), body composition, very-high frequency ultrasound of carotid arteries (25 and 35 MHz), and pulse wave velocity. Results: We found no association between child and maternal ideal cardiovascular health but report evidence of particular metrics correlations: total cholesterol (r=0.24, P=0.003), BMI (r=0.17, P=0.02), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.15, P=0.03), and diet quality (r=0.22, P=0.002). Child arterial phenotype was not associated with child or maternal ideal cardiovascular health. In the multivariable regression explanatory model adjusted for child sex, age, systolic blood pressure, lean body mass, and body fat percentage, child carotid intima-media thickness was independently associated only with maternal carotid intima-media thickness (0.1 mm increase [95% CI 0.05, 0.21, P=0.001] for each 1 mm increase in maternal carotid intima-media thickness). Children of mothers with subclinical atherosclerosis had decreased carotid artery distensibility (1.1 +/- 0.2 vs 1.2 +/- 0.2%/10 mmHg, P=0.01) and trend toward increased carotid intima-media thickness (0.37 +/- 0.04 vs 0.35 +/- 0.04 mm, P=0.06). Conclusion: Ideal Cardiovascular Health metrics are heterogeneously associated in mother-child pairs in early childhood. We found no evidence of child or maternal Ideal Cardiovascular Health effect on child arterial phenotype. Maternal carotid intima-media thickness predicts child carotid intima-media thickness, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Maternal subclinical atherosclerosis is associated with local carotid arterial stiffness in early childhood.Peer reviewe

Simultaneous targeted activation of Notch1 and Vhl-disruption in the kidney proximal epithelial tubular cells in mice

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of kidney cancer, representing approximately 75% of all renal neoplasms. ccRCC is known to be strongly associated with silencing of the von Hippel Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene, yet VHL deficiency alone does not seem to be sufficient to drive the oncogenic transformation of normal renal epithelium and induce renal tumorigenesis. We, and others, have previously suggested that constitutive activation of the Notch signaling pathway, alongside with VHL loss, contribute to the oncogenic features of ccRCC. Here we report a prevailing hyperactivation of the Notch1 receptor in human ccRCC relative to the healthy counterpart. To explore the consequences of the elevated Notch1 signaling observed in ccRCC patient material, we made use of a conditional mouse model based on concurrent ectopic expression of constitutively active Notch1 (NICD1) and deletion of the Vhl gene. Histological examination of the kidneys of the conditional mice demonstrate the existence of nests of dysplastic cells with a clear cytoplasm as a consequence of lipid accumulation, thus displaying a one important hallmark of human ccRCC

Effect of a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy-findings from the Finnish gestational diabetes prevention trial (RADIEL)

Objective To assess the effect of lifestyle counseling on perinatal outcomes among women at high risk for gestational diabetes. Study design A total of 492 women with obesity and/or prior gestational diabetes were allocated to intervention (four sessions of lifestyle counseling, n = 249) or usual care (n = 243) before 20 weeks' gestation. Result Lifestyle indicators, gestational weight gain, or obstetric and perinatal outcomes did not differ between the two groups. An oral glucose tolerance test in the first half of pregnancy was pathological in 37.7% (n = 87/144) of intervention and 36.5% (n = 72/197) of control group women (p = 0.81). The total incidence of gestational diabetes diagnosed in the first or second half of pregnancy was 44.8% (107/239) in the intervention and 48.1% (111/231) in the control group (p = 0.48). Conclusions The high prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism was observed already in early pregnancy, which may have contributed to the lack of effect of the intervention.Peer reviewe