Abstract |
Background: Leptin levels start increasing from the early stages of pregnancy irrespective of maternal weight gain. Hyperleptinemia in early stages of pregnancy appears to be predictive of an increased risk to develop GDM later in pregnancy irrespective of maternal adiposity. The study aimed at determining whether serum leptin concentration and body fat percent are significantly altered during the first trimester in pregnancies that subsequently develop GDM and whether such changes can help in determining pregnancies that are likely to develop in to GDM. Materials and Methods: This work involved participants who were purposively selected for a longitudinal study, consisting of 314 pregnant women, attending antenatal visit between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation at the Volta Regional Hospital, Ho, Ghana. Among the participants, 21 developed GDM. Maternal serum leptin, lipid profile, and body fat percent were measured between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation. Body mass index was also calculated. Results: First trimester serum leptin level (ng mL-1) p<0.0001, TG (mmol L-1) p<0.0001, TC (mmol L-1) p<0.0001, LDL (mmol L-1) p<0.0001, VLDL (mmol L-1) p<0.0001 and body fat percentage, p<0.0001 were significantly higher in those who developed GDM than those who did not, while the HDL (mmol L-1) p=0.0063, was significantly lower in the GDMs than their peers. Conclusion: Leptin levels and lipids are increased significantly between 11-13 weeks of gestation in obese women with GDM and these increases precede GDM.
KEYWORDS: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Adiposity, Hyperleptinemia, percentage of body fat and pregnancy
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