Glucose metabolism in gestational diabetes and their relationship with fat mass / muscle mass index

Introduction

During pregnancy, women experience metabolic changes that may induce insulin resistance, which can be traced to the blood glucose levels A number of factors may intervene in the metabolism of glucose in pregnant women; one of them is body composition. This factor is useful for studying metabolic diseases, for which the identification of the fat mass/muscle mass index (FMMMI) considered an especially relevant factor. Owing to their nature, techniques such as bioimpedance have been sparsely used for analysis during pregnancy.

Aim

This study aimed to identify the relationship between fat mass / muscle mass index and glucose metabolism in pregnant women.

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional study included 231 women between the ages of 18 and 35 years and 24–28 weeks of gestation, who attended a state hospital for regular check-ups and exhibited risk factors for the development of gestational diabetes (GD) according to the Current Practice Guidelines in Primary Care. The participants underwent a physical examination, anthropometric measurements bio impedance were obtained, and oral glucose tolerance curves were constructed. FMMMI was calculated.

Results

The prevalence of gestational diabetes was observed to be 13.4%. Women with a GD diagnosis had a significantly higher FMMMI than in those with no GD (0.746 ± 0.168 vs 0.567 ± 0.167;p < 0.005). The assessment of the FMMMI tertiles revealed that GD prevalence was higher in tertile 3 than in tertiles 1 and 2 (tertile 1: 2.6%; tertile 2: 9.1%; tertile 3: 24%).

Conclusion

FMMMI is associated with glucose tolerance test response in pregnant women and a higher prevalence of GD.