Mom’s T1D predisposes child to metabolic syndromes in adolescence

Children born to mothers with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndromes, including obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia, among others, in their teens, a study has found.

The cross-sectional study included 103 adolescents aged 14−19 years who were born to women with T1D and 98 teens born to nondiabetic women.

All participants had their body mass index, blood pressure, urine microalbumin to creatinine ratio, haemoglobin A1c, serum urate, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measured.

Multiple linear regression models showed that compared with teens born to nondiabetic mothers, those who were born to mothers with T1D had a more than twofold higher likelihood of having elevated blood pressure levels (odds ratio [OR], 2.45, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 2.1–2.8), hypertension (OR, 2.52, 95 percent CI, 1.99–3.01), and increased body mass index (OR, 2.22, 95 percent CI, 1.76–2.69).

Maternal exposure to T1D was also associated with heightened levels of total cholesterol (OR, 1.5, 95 percent CI, 0.2–2.9), LDL-C (OR, 1.33, 95 percent CI, 1.06–1.64), and triglyceride (OR, 1.34, 95 percent CI, 1.05–1.70). Attenuated estimates were observed for eGFR (OR, 0.96, 95 percent CI, 0.81–1.11) and microalbuminuria (OR, 1.1, 95 percent CI, 0.87–1.12).

Furthermore, obesity and hypertension were more prevalent among girls than boys.