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Warm temperatures increase the risk of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes (also known as gestational diabetes) increases the blood sugar level of those affected above the normal level. Canadian researchers have now identified a direct link between the risk of gestational diabetes and outdoor air temperatures.
The researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences found in an investigation that there is a direct link between gestational diabetes and outdoor air temperatures. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Canadian Medical Association Journal".
Gestational diabetes can lead to serious health effects for mother and child. Experts found that increased air temperature can massively increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes. (Image: alice_photo / fotolia.com) Researchers are studying just under 400,000 women for their study
For their investigation, the experts reviewed the records of nearly 400,000 pregnant women in the Greater Toronto area. All of these participants gave birth to a child between 2002 and 2014.
Effects of gestational diabetes
This is the first population study to examine the relationship between air temperature and gestational diabetes risk, explains the author. Gillian Booth. This form of diabetes can occur during pregnancy and, if left untreated, can lead to stillbirth. In addition, this disease increases the risk of complications during childbirth and mother and baby have an increased likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, the expert adds.
Successful management of gestational diabetes is feasible
The management of gestational diabetes is difficult, but still feasible, say the doctors. To manage this condition accurately, it requires good planning. These include, for example, careful preparation of snacks and meals, checking blood glucose four times a day, a weekly ultrasound, and regular appointments with medics to prevent potential complications.
Even newborn children can suffer from the effects of gestational diabetes
Women with gestational diabetes are not the only ones affected by the disease. Even their children can suffer from the disease and thus require a special diet, say the scientists. Of course the whole process is very exhausting and difficult to manage, especially for the mother. Researchers now found that there seems to be a simple new way to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.
How does cold affect brown fat in the human body?
The team of experts used the wide variations in temperatures in Canada between seasons to conduct a natural experiment. This was based on how the activity of so-called brown fat is affected by cold to generate heat and promote metabolism, say the scientists. During the study, when the thermostats were lowered from 24 ° C to 19 ° C, participant Nuclear PET scans showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity. This suggests that even a small increase in air temperature could cause many women to develop gestational diabetes.
Physicians compared a database of pregnancies with historical weather data
For its investigation, the team reviewed a database of pregnancy cases and a record of historical weather data. So the experts calculated a 30-day average of high and low air temperatures. Later, the women were asked to do a glucose test.
What is the role of insulin??
When women are in their second trimester of pregnancy, they become less sensitive to the hormone insulin, the experts explain. The sensitivity then increases again in the third trimester. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and the hormone allows the human body to properly process sugars and carbohydrates in food, explain the scientists.
10 degrees warmer air temperature increases the risk of gestational diabetes by up to 9 percent
After adjusting the results for age, number of pregnancies, body mass index and socioeconomic factors, it became clear that any increase in average air temperature by 10 degrees Celsius is associated with a six to nine percent greater likelihood of gestational diabetes, say the authors.
15 million women suffer from gestational diabetes each year
Every year, an estimated 15 million pregnant women worldwide are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. If the association between air temperature and the risk of gestational diabetes matches reality, lowering the thermostats in our homes could reduce the likelihood of gestational diabetes, the authors explain
Global warming could lead to massively increased cases of gestational diabetes
Climate change models up to the year 2050 indicate an increase in surface temperatures of one to two degrees Celsius. Even a slight increase in air temperature could actually mean that many more women get gestational diabetes. (As)