Gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension on the risk of diabetes among gestational diabetes women

Abstract

Aims We aimed to examine the association of gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension at the inter-conception examination with type 2 diabetes risk among women with a history of gestational diabetes. Methods We conducted a population-based study among 1261 women who had a history of gestational diabetes at 1–5 years after delivery in Tianjin, China. Logistic regression or Cox regression was used to assess the associations of gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension at the inter-conception examination with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes risks. Results Gestational diabetic women who had a history of gestational hypertension but did not use antihypertensive drugs during pregnancy had a 3.94-fold higher risk (95% CI: 1.94–8.02) of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who were normotensive in index pregnancy. Compared with gestational diabetic women who had normal blood pressure at the inter-conception examination, hypertensive women at the inter-conception examination were 3.38 times (95% CI: 1.66–6.87) and 2.97 times (95% CI: 1.75–5.05) more likely to develop diabetes and prediabetes, respectively. The odds ratios of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes associated with each 5 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure were 1.25 (95% CI: 1.03–1.51) and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.06–1.35). Each 5 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure contributed to a 1.49-fold higher risk (95% CI: 1.18–1.88) for type 2 diabetes and a 1.42-fold higher risk (95% CI: 1.22–1.65) for prediabetes. Conclusions For women with prior gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension at the inter-conception examination were risk factors for type 2 diabetes.