The association of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with risk of future cardiovascular disease is well-established. Similarly, gestational diabetes is also a risk factor for diabetes later in life. A team of Japanese researchers conducted a cross-sectional study between April 2017 and November 2020 at a tertiary hospital to examine if gestational glycosuria, proteinuria and borderline hypertension also had a similar correlation with these chronic diseases. For this, they evaluated three parameters: glycosuria, proteinuria and systolic BP (<130, 130-139 and ≥ 140 mmHg) during pregnancy in 312 women. Questionnaires were used to find out the self-reported incidences of hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease after 35.8 years of childbirth.

Results published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research show that women with glycosuria were 3 times more at risk of diabetes mellitus with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 3.62. Women with proteinuria were 4 times more likely to develop kidney disease with aOR of 4.07. Systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg was significantly associated with risk of hypertension with aOR of 4.26. However, the association between systolic BP 130-139 mmHg and hypertension was nonsignificant (aOR 1.72).

These findings demonstrate a positive association between gestational glycosuria, proteinuria and raised BP with development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension in older age. Routine screening of these simple parameters during pregnancy can identify at-risk women for timely implementation of preventive actions.

Reference

1. Satoshi Hosoya, et al. Gestational glycosuria, proteinuria, and borderline hypertension in pregnancy are predictors for the later onset of maternal chronic disease. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2023 Feb;49(2):641-648. doi: 10.1111/jog.15497.