Issue 169 Item 4 Obese Glucose-Tolerant Women at High Risk for Pregnancy Complic

Women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant have an increased risk of a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes

Moreover, by including only pregnant women with normal late-pregnancy oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, the researchers were able to show that this relationship is independent of maternal glucose levels.

"To our knowledge, ours is the first study in which this has been performed," Dr. Dorte M. Jensen from Odense University Hospital and associates write in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The team looked at pregnancy outcome and pre-pregnancy BMI in a historical cohort study of 2,459 glucose-tolerant Danish women.
In adjusted analyses, the risk of hypertensive complications, cesarean section, induction of labor and macrosomia was significantly increased (p < 0.001) in overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9 kg/m) and obese women (BMI, 30 kg/m or more) compared with normal-weight women (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m).

"Pregnancy complications related to maternal BMI is a growing problem," the investigators write. "Traditionally, intensified obstetric surveillance has been restricted to obese women with glucose intolerance, but it is evident from the current study that obese women with a normal glucose tolerance also represent a high risk group," they add. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;189:239-244.

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DID YOU KNOW: Walking At Least 2 Hours Weekly Reduces Mortality In Diabetics
Regular exercise decreases the risk for CVD and death in the general population and is an essential lifestyle modification for the prevention of diabetes. Those reporting walking 3 to 3.9 hours a week had a 54% and 53% decrease in all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively, compared to nonwalkers. The authors, reporting their results in the June 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, conclude, "Overall these findings support current recommendations that brisk walking is a key health behavior for persons with type 2 diabetes." Arch Intern Med 2003;163:1440-1447,1397-1398.
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