Changes in Serum Lipid Levels During Pregnancy in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetic Subjects

OBJECTIVE: Alterations in maternal lipid metabolism could affect fetal programming and the susceptibility for atherosclerosis in the offspring; therefore, we studied differences in lipid profiles of pregnant women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 173 diabetic pregnancies were studied prior to conception (V0), at each trimester (V1-V3), and after delivery and were compared with 137 healthy women at V3. RESULTS: During gestation, the increase in serum lipid concentrations was less pronounced in type 2 diabetic subjects. At V3, the lipid levels of type 1 diabetic women with normal glucose tolerance were similar but significantly higher then those of type 2 diabetic women. Elevated triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol at V3 were significant predictors for large-for-gestational-age (LGA) newborns. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest smaller changes in serum lipid concentrations during pregnancy in type 2 diabetic mothers. Additionally, we found a positive association between maternal triglycerides and LGA infants independently of chronic glycemic control.