A prospective cohort study of early‐pregnancy risk factors for gestational diabetes in polycystic ovarian syndrome

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a strong risk factor for gestational diabetes (GDM). However, the association between features of PCOS during early pregnancy and the risk of GDM is not clearly characterized. In this prospective cohort study, we seek to identify early-pregnancy risk factors for GDM in PCOS women. METHODS: Between 2011 and 2013, 248 women with PCOS were followed from their first prenatal visit to delivery. Multiple early-pregnancy metabolic factors were evaluated for their association with the risk of GDM. RESULTS: Among 248 subjects, 75 (30.2%) developed GDM. Single factor analysis identified a number of metabolic risk factors for GDM, including higher body mass index, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and insulin resistance; abnormal cholesterol; elevated blood pressure and free androgen index; lower level of sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG); and less gestational weight gain. Multivariate analysis showed that FPG, non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and SHBG are independent predictive factors for GDM. CONCLUSIONS: Our study established strong association of multiple early-pregnancy risk factors with development of GDM in PCOS women. These risk factors are predominantly related to the regulation of glucose, lipid, and androgen metabolism. Among these factors, FPG, non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and SHBG, predict incident GDM.