Maternal arterial stiffness in pregnancies complicated by gestational and type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate whether maternal arterial stiffness is altered in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes compared to normoglycemic women. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 34 women with GDM and their controls (n = 34), and 34 women with type 2 diabetes and their controls (n = 34). Maternal arterial stiffness was assessed using applanation tonometry. RESULTS: In patients with GDM, compared to their controls, augmentation index (a measure of arterial wave reflection) was higher (13.1 +/- 8.9% vs 0.7 +/- 11.4%; P < .001) and pulse wave velocity (PVVV) (arterial stiffness of the carotid-femoral) was marginally increased (6 +/- 1.5 vs 5.4 +/- 0.6 m/s; P = .07). In type 2 diabetics, compared to their controls, both augmentation index and PWV were increased (11.5 +/- 11.4% vs 3.3 +/- 12.5%; P = .006, and 6.8 +/- 1.2 vs 5.6 +/- 1 m/s; P < .001). When all groups were considered together, there was a significant trend of increasing augmentation index (P < .001) and PWV (P < .001) from controls to those with GDM to type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: Pregnancies complicated by GDM and type 2 diabetes are associated with increased maternal arterial stiffness.