Diabetes during pregnancy exposes women to a risk of heart disease

AllaSerebrina/epictura

Published the 07.12.2017 at 09h25

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Keywords :

grossessediabète gestationnelrisque cardiovasculairealimentation

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that appears during pregnancy, usually towards the end of the second quarter. It can last only for the duration of the pregnancy, or be a sign of diabetes that is already present.
According to a study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, women with diabetes during their pregnancy are exposed to a risk of developing later cardiovascular disease.

43% higher risk of having heart problems

Approximately 90,000 american women, aged more than 26 years, were followed after their pregnancy for almost 20 years. Result : those who have suffered from gestational diabetes were 43% more likely to later have a heart disease such as a myocardial infarction or a cardiac arrest.
Previous studies had already stressed the link between gestational diabetes and heart problems. However, they did not meet one point : the importance of a healthy lifestyle to decrease the risks.

Living a healthy life reduces the risk

In fact, the weight of the woman and her lifestyle can play a role. Either increase risk or, on the contrary, decrease. A sharp weight gain, for example, or a deterioration of a way of life (do more eat a balanced diet of everything, cease all athletic activity, multiply the excess food) are particularly associated with an increased cardiovascular risk.

In all cases, therefore, it is important for a woman who suffered from diabetes during her pregnancy to be followed after delivery.