Diabetes Health in the News Podcast: Early Pregnancy Abdominal Fat Linked to Gestational Diabetes

 

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A recent study has found that excessive abdominal fat in early pregnancy could increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes. While previous research has shown that visceral fat was a diabetes risk factor, this study shows that total abdominal fat is also a gestational diabetes predictor.

The study examined 500 pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 42. Ultrasounds were completed between 11 and 14 weeks of gestation to measure total fat within the abdominal region. Women with higher levels of abdominal fat showed an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes during weeks 24-28 of pregnancy. As a result, healthy eating and an exercise plan during pregnancy could reduce the risk of abdominal weight gain and the future development of gestational diabetes.

These findings were published in Diabetes Care on October 20, 2015.