Lower vitamin D levels during the second trimester are associated with developing gestational diabetes mellitus: an observational cross-sectional study

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to compare serum 25(OH)D levels in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to identify the serum 25(OH)D levels associated with GDM. We recruited 40 women with GDM and 40 healthy pregnant women, aged 20–40 years and in the second trimester, at Gulhane Education and Research Hospital. We excluded women with chronic diseases, preeclampsia, pre-GDM, multiple pregnancies, and those taking medications related to calcium or vitamin D metabolism. We took anthropometric measurements and blood samples during the second trimester. Of the 80 pregnant women, pre-pregnancy body mass index was significantly higher among the GDM group than the healthy group (26.4 ± 5.73 kg/m² vs. 22.6 ± 3.56 kg/m², p = .001). Serum 25(OH)D levels in women with GDM were significantly lower than those in healthy women (16.8 ± 9.90 ng/mL vs. 20.9 ± 8.16 ng/mL, p = .016). The prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency was as high as 72.5% among women in the GDM group, with a 1.74-fold increased risk of deficient status. Levels of 25(OH)D lower than a cutoff value of 14.0 ng/mL were determined to be related to GDM. These study results suggest that maternal vitamin D deficiency in mid-pregnancy is significantly associated with development of GDM.

摘要

本研究旨在比较妊娠期糖尿病（GDM）患者和非妊娠期糖尿病（GDM）患者血清25（OH）D水平, 以明确GDM与血清25（OH）D水平的关系。我们在Gulhane教育和研究医院招募了40名GDM患者和40名健康孕妇, 年龄介于20岁-40岁的妊娠中期妇女。我们排除了患有慢性疾病、子痫前期、GDM前期、多胎妊娠以及服用与钙或维生素D代谢相关药物的妇女。我们在妊娠中期进行了人体测量和血液样本。80例孕妇中, GDM组孕前体重指数明显高于健康组（26.4 ± 5.73kg/m2 vs. 22.6 ± 3.56kg/m2, p= .001）。GDM妇女血清25（OH）D水平明显低于健康妇女（16.8 ± 9.90ng/mL vs. 20.9 ± 8.16ng/mL, p= .016）。在GDM组中, 严重维生素D缺乏症的患病率高达72.5%, 维生素D缺乏症的GDM患病风险增加了1.74倍。25（OH）D水平低于截断值14.0 ng/mL与GDM有关。这些研究结果表明, 妊娠中期母体维生素D缺乏与GDM的发病有显著的相关性。

The Chinese abstracts are translated by Prof. Dr. Xiangyan Ruan and her team: Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100026, China.

Keywords:

• Gestational diabetes mellitus
• 25(OH)D
• pregnancy
• vitamin D deficiency
• second trimester

Acknowledgements

We thank all the women who participated in this study, as well as the Department of Biochemistry, University of Health Sciences for their cooperation in performing the blood tests.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.