Elevated Midtrimester Triglycerides as a Biomarker for Postpartum Hyperglycemia in Gestational Diabetes

Background. Whether elevated triglyceride (TG) levels during pregnancy were a biomarker for postpartum abnormal glucose metabolism (AGM) in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remained unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between TG levels during the second trimester and postpartum AGM in GDM women. Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study including 513 GDM women. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed, and lipid levels were determined during pregnancy and the postpartum period. GDM patients were categorized into tertiles according to their TG levels at 24–28 weeks of gestation (TG2.89 mmol/L). A logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results. During pregnancy, women in the high TG tertile showed higher HbA1c levels (5.47±0.58% versus 5.28±0.49%, p=0.006), higher total cholesterol (TC) levels (5.85±1.23 mmol/L versus 5.15±0.97 mmol/L, p=0.026), and higher HOMA-IR (2.36 (1.62-3.45) versus 1.49 (0.97-2.33), p