Anthropometry and cardiovascular risk factors in women and offspring after pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia or diabetes mellitus

Objective. To explore whether there are any differences in cardiovascular risk factors, including anthropometrics, blood pressure and serum glucose between women and offspring after pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia or diabetes mellitus, compared to uncomplicated pregnancies. Design. Longitudinal follow-up of mother and child previously recruited to a pregnancy biobank in Norway. Setting. University hospital. Population. Women with a history of preeclampsia (n = 23), gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 12), diabetes mellitus type 1 (n = 11), or controls (n = 17), and their respective child were recruited 5-8 years after the index pregnancy. Methods. Anthropometrics and blood pressures were measured in mother and child. All non-diabetic women underwent an oral glucose challenge test. Main outcome measures. Body mass index, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, serum glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Results. Women in the preeclampsia and diabetes mellitus groups had a slightly higher median systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05), and were more often abdominally obese (waist circumference >= 88 cm) compared with controls (p < 0.05). A waist to hip ratio >= 0.85 was more common in the diabetes group compared to the controls (p < 0.01). Fasting serum glucose was higher in the gestational diabetes mellitus group (p < 0.05) compared to controls. A higher proportion of children of mothers with diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia were overweight or obese compared to controls, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions. This clinical study has identified several modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women and children 5-8 years after pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia or diabetes mellitus. Potential intervention strategies could focus on life style alterations after delivery, with emphasis on weight management.