Diabetes Health in the News: Increased Iron Linked to Gestational Diabetes
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Researchers from the University of Sydney’s Kolling Institute of Medical Research recently found that pregnant women with elevated iron levels are at a greater risk of developing gestational diabetes. This finding came after studying over 3,750 women, and measurements were taken during their first trimester to document their ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor levels. the C-reactive proteins were also measured, finding that women who eventually developed gestational diabetes had higher serum ferritin levels.
This study failed to find a connection between gestational diabetes and soluble transferrin receptor levels. The main takeaway is that an increased risk of gestational diabetes was associated with higher dietary iron intakes before conception and during early pregnancy.
These findings were published in Diabetic Medicine on January 12, 2016.
