Hyperinsulinemia during pregnancy across varying degrees of glucose tolerance: An examination of the Kraft database.

ABSTRACT

AIM: Hyperinsulinemia is a known underlying driver of metabolic disease; however, its role in pregnancy complications is less understood due to insulin measurement not being a part of standard clinical assessments. This study aimed to characterize hyperinsulinemia in pregnancy by gestational diabetes (GD) status using Kraft methodology. METHODS: We analyzed historical data from 926 pregnant women who underwent a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which included insulin measurement. Subjects were grouped by GD diagnosis status ("Normal", "Borderline", "GD") and insulin responses over 3 h were compared between groups. RESULTS: "GD" was diagnosed in 20.3% of the subjects and 13.8% were grouped as "Borderline." The prevalence of hyperinsulinemia using the Kraft algorithm was 33.1% for Kraft IIB and 42.0% for Kraft III. Compared to normal glucose-tolerant mothers, individuals from the "Borderline" group had an exacerbated insulin response, although not to the same magnitude as those with "GD." CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic OGTT insulin measurement during pregnancy may provide a meaningful assessment of metabolic risk among women who would otherwise not be diagnosed with GD.