Abstract
Aims
Studies to prevent gestational diabetes (GDM) have shown the best results when lifestyle measures have been applied early in pregnancy. We aimed to investigate whether first-trimester fasting plasma glucose (FPG) could predict GDM risk and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Methods
A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from singleton pregnancies who were attended at our hospital between 2008 and 2018 (n = 27,198) was performed. We included patients with a recorded first-trimester FPG and complete pregnancy data (n = 6845). Patients under 18, with pregestational diabetes or reproductive techniques, were excluded. First-trimester FPG was evaluated as a continuous variable and divided into quartiles. GDM was diagnosed by NDDG criteria. The relationship between first- and second-trimester glucose > 92 mg/dL was also investigated. The relationship between FPG and pregnancy outcomes was assessed in 6150 patients who did not have GDM.
Results
Maternal age was 34.2 ± 3.9 years, BMI 23.1 ± 3.7 kg/m2 and mean FPG 83.0 ± 7.3 mg/dL. Glucose quartiles were: ≤ 78, 79–83, 84–87 and ≥ 88 mg/dL. First-trimester FPG predicted the risk of GDM (7%, 8%, 10.2% and 16% in each quartile, p < 0.001) and the risk of second-trimester glucose > 92 mg/dL (2.6%, 3.8%, 6.3% and 11.4% in each quartile, p < 0.001). FPG was significantly associated with LGA (8.2%, 9.3%, 10% and 11.7% in each quartile, p = 0.011) but not with other obstetrical outcomes. In a multivariate analysis including age, BMI, tobacco use, number of pregnancies and weight gained during pregnancy, first-trimester FPG was an independent predictor of LGA.
Conclusions
First-trimester FPG is an early marker of GDM and LGA.


Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.References
Landon MB, Carpenter MW, Wapner RJ et al (2009) A multicenter, randomized trial of treatment for mild gestational diabetes. N Engl J Med 361(14):1339–1348
Crowther CA, McPhee AJ (2005) Effect of treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus on pregnancy outcomes. N Engl J Med 352(24):2477–2486
Albareda M, Caballero A, Badell G et al (2003) Diabetes and abnormal glucose tolerance in women with previous gestational diabetes. Diabetes Care 26:1199–1205. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.4.1199
Duran A, Sáenz S, Torrejón MJ et al (2014) Introduction of IADPSG criteria for the screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus results in improved pregnancy outcomes at a lower cost in a large cohort of pregnant women: the St. Carlos gestational diabetes study. Diabetes Care 37:2442–2450. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc14-0179
Corcoy R, Lumbreras B, Luis Bartha J, Ricart W (2010) Nuevos criterios diagnósticos de diabetes mellitus gestacional a partir del estudio HAPO. ¿Son válidos en nuestro medio? Gac Sanit 24:361–363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2010.03.007
Coustan DR, Lowe LP, Metzger BE, Dyer AR (2010) The hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcome (HAPO) study: paving the way for new diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus. Am J Obstet Gynecol 202:654.e1–654.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2010.04.006
Long H, Cundy T (2013) Establishing consensus in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes following HAPO: where do we stand? Curr Diab Rep 13:43–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-012-0330-3
Koivusalo SB, Rönö K, Klemetti MM et al (2016) Gestational diabetes mellitus can be prevented by lifestyle intervention: the Finnish gestational diabetes prevention study (RADIEL): a randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care 39:24–30. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc15-0511
Simmons D, van Poppel MNM (2015) UPBEAT, RADIEL, and DALI: what’s the difference? Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 3:761. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(15)00318-6
Poston L, Bell R, Croker H et al (2015) Effect of a behavioural intervention in obese pregnant women (the UPBEAT study): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 3:767–777. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(15)00227-2
Chiswick C, Reynolds RM, Denison F et al (2015) Effect of metformin on maternal and fetal outcomes in obese pregnant women (EMPOWaR): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 3:778–786. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(15)00219-3
Simmons D, Devlieger R, van Assche A et al (2016) Effect of physical activity and/or healthy eating on GDM risk: the DALI lifestyle study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2016-3455
Song C, Li J, Leng J et al (2016) Lifestyle intervention can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials: lifestyle Intervention and GDM. Obes Rev 17:960–969. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12442
The HAPO Study Cooperative Research Group (2008) Hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Obstet Gynecol Surv 63:615–616. https://doi.org/10.1097/OGX.0b013e318187b7a2
International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups Consensus Panel (2010) International association of diabetes and pregnancy study groups recommendations on the diagnosis and classification of hyperglycemia in pregnancy. Diabetes Care 33:676–682. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc09-1848
Riskin-Mashiah S, Younes G, Damti A, Auslender R (2009) First-trimester fasting hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Diabetes Care 32:1639–1643. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc09-0688
Kansu-Celik H, Ozgu-Erdinc AS, Kisa B et al (2019) Prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester: comparison of maternal fetuin-A, N-terminal proatrial natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and fasting glucose levels. Arch Endocrinol Metab. https://doi.org/10.20945/2359-3997000000126
Falcone V, Kotzaeridi G, Breil MH et al (2019) Early assessment of the risk for gestational diabetes mellitus: can fasting parameters of glucose metabolism contribute to risk prediction? Diabetes Metab J. https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2018.0218
Sesmilo G, Meler E, Perea V et al (2017) Maternal fasting glycemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes in a Mediterranean population. Acta Diabetol 54:293–299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-016-0952-z
Ricart W, López J, Mozas J et al (2005) Potential impact of American Diabetes Association (2000) criteria for diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in Spain. Diabetologia 48:1135–1141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-005-1756-9
Eades CE (2017) Prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in Europe: a meta-analysis. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2017.03.030
Mills JL, Jovanovic L, Knopp R et al (1998) Physiological reduction in fasting plasma glucose concentration in the first trimester of normal pregnancy: the diabetes in early pregnancy study. Metabolism 47:1140–1144. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0026-0495(98)90290-6
Sacks DB, Arnold M, Bakris GL et al (2011) Guidelines and recommendations for laboratory analysis in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 34:e61–e99. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc11-9998
Grupo Español de Diabetes y Embarazo (GEDE) (2015) Asistencia a la gestante con diabetes. Guía de práctica clínica actualizada en 2014. Av Diabetol 31:45–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avdiab.2014.12.001
American Diabetes Association (2019) Classification and diagnosis of diabetes: standards of medical care in diabetes—2019. Diabetes Care 42:S13–S28. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc19-S002
Corcoy R, Lumbreras B, Bartha JL, Ricart W (2010) Nuevos criterios diagnósticos de diabetes mellitus gestacional a partir del estudio HAPO. ¿Son válidos en nuestro medio? Endocrinol Nutr 57:277–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.endonu.2010.03.020
López del Val T, Alcázar Lázaro V, García Lacalle C et al (2019) Glucemia basal en el primer trimestre como acercamiento inicial al diagnóstico de la diabetes en el embarazo. Endocrinol Diabetes Nutr 66:11–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.endinu.2018.06.012
Agarwal MM (2016) Gestational diabetes mellitus: screening with fasting plasma glucose. World J Diabetes 7:279. https://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v7.i14.279
Sacks DA, Chen W, Wolde-Tsadik G, Buchanan TA (2003) Fasting plasma glucose test at the first prenatal visit as a screen for gestational diabetes. Obstet Gynecol 101:1197–1203. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0029-7844(03)00049-8
Sweeting AN, Ross GP, Hyett J et al (2016) Gestational diabetes mellitus in early pregnancy: evidence for poor pregnancy outcomes despite treatment. Diabetes Care 39:75–81. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc15-0433
Assaf-Balut C, García de la Torre N, Durán A et al (2017) A Mediterranean diet with additional extra virgin olive oil and pistachios reduces the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): a randomized controlled trial: the St. Carlos GDM prevention study. PLoS ONE 12:e0185873. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185873
García de la Torre N, Assaf-Balut C, Jiménez Varas I et al (2019) Effectiveness of following mediterranean diet recommendations in the real world in the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and adverse maternal-foetal outcomes: a prospective, universal, interventional study with a single group. The St Carlos study. Nutrients 11:1210. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061210
Schaefer-Graf UM, Kjos SL, Kilavuz O et al (2003) Determinants of fetal growth at different periods of pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance. Diabetes Care 26:193–198. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.26.1.193
Wright D, Spencer K, Kagan KK et al (2010) First-trimester combined screening for trisomy 21 at 7–14 weeks’ gestation. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol Off J Int Soc Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 36:404–411. https://doi.org/10.1002/uog.7755
HAPO Study Cooperative Research Group, Metzger BE, Lowe LP et al (2008) Hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. N Engl J Med 358:1991–2002. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0707943
Escuriet-Peiró R, Goberna-Tricas J, Pueyo-Sanchez MJ et al (2015) Impact of maternity care policy in Catalonia: a retrospective cross-sectional study of service delivery in public and private hospitals. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 15:23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-015-0446-y
Lowe WL, Scholtens DM, Kuang A et al (2019) Hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcome follow-up study (HAPO FUS): maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and childhood glucose metabolism. Diabetes Care 42:372–380. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc18-1646
Lowe WL, Lowe LP, Kuang A et al (2019) Maternal glucose levels during pregnancy and childhood adiposity in the hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcome follow-up study. Diabetologia 62:598–610. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-018-4809-6
Acknowledgements
This study was conducetd under the auspices of the Cátedra d'Investigació en Obstetrícia i Ginecologia de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Funding
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
GS and PP conceived the project. SG and NR did the statistical analysis. GS did the literature review. GS wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the study design, including data collection, data interpretation and manuscript revision.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical standards
The protocol was approved by the Dexeus Institutional Review Board for Human Investigation and the Ethics Committee.
Informed consent
Informed consent was obtained from all patients, and the reported investigations were carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki as revised in 2008.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This article belongs to the topical collection Pregnancy and diabetes, managed by Antonio Secchi and Marina Scavini.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sesmilo, G., Prats, P., Garcia, S. et al. First-trimester fasting glycemia as a predictor of gestational diabetes (GDM) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Acta Diabetol 57, 697–703 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-019-01474-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-019-01474-8