Blood Pressure Readings in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Without Coexisting Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study
Son Tien Nguyen, Thuc Luong Cong, Tuan Dinh Le, Hoa Trung Dinh, Giang Thi Nguyen, Trinh Hien Vu, Binh Van Nguyen, Tien Viet Tran, Kien Trung Nguyen, Tien Minh Bui, Hung Nguyen Dao, Van Hong Thi Le, Hoang Duong Huy, Thuan Van Nguyen, Dai Khac DoBackground/Objective
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) leads to changes in maternal blood pressure indices, resulting in preeclampsia as well as fetal abnormalities. This study aims to describe the relationship between blood pressure indices with some clinical and paraclinical characteristics in GDM without coexisting hypertension.
Methods
A cross-sectional study analyzing 371 women with GDM and no coexisting hypertension, diagnosed for the first time was conducted from 2015 to 2023. The preeclampsia risk factors examined in this study included insulin resistance, blood glucose levels, obesity, advanced maternal age (over 35 years), and primigravidity. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were measured at rest on at least two separate occasions.
Results
GDM with obesity had significantly higher SBP and DBP than the group without obesity (113.0 vs 107.7 mmHg for SBP and 70.0 vs 66.0 mmHg for DBP, all p < 0.001). The group diagnosed with GDM by fasting plasma glucose (FPG) criteria had significantly higher SBP than the group without increased FPG (111.9 vs 109.5 mmHg, p = 0.02). The group diagnosed with GDM by 2-hr post-oral glucose tolerance test criteria had significantly higher SBP and DBP than the group without increased values (111.1 vs 108.9 for SBP and 68.5 vs 66.8 for DBP, all p < 0.05). TyGBMI index (TyGBMI) was weakly associated with SBP (beta = 0.16, p < 0.001). Additionally, hemoglobin levels significantly contributed to the variance (beta = 0.12, p = 0.005). When tested separately, pre-pregnancy BMI remained a dominant factor (beta = 0.65, p < 0.001). Similar trends were observed for DBP, with TyGBMI showing a positive correlation (beta = 0.11, p < 0.001). Hemoglobin also remained an independent predictor (beta = 0.09, p = 0.012), while pre-pregnancy BMI maintained high significance (beta = 0.41, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Our descriptive study highlights pre-pregnancy BMI and the TyGBMI index as significant metabolic correlates of blood pressure levels. Furthermore, the observed association with Hemoglobin suggest that hematological factors may also play a role in the hemodynamic profile of this population.