Is a history of gestational diabetes related to risk factors for coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in 20 non‐diabetic women with and 20 without a distant history of gestational diabetes (hGDM), matched on age, body mass index, and time since GDM‐affected pregnancy, was compared in a case control study. Women with an hGDM had lower high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐c), p  = .02, and higher triglycerides, p  ≤ .001, versus controls. The combination of high triglycerides and low HDL‐c occurred in 25% of hGDM cases versus 0% of controls, p  ≤ .01. Two‐hour post‐load glucose indicated that 45% of hGDM cases were pre‐diabetic versus 20% of controls, p  ≤ .05. Non‐diabetic women with a distant hGDM are at increased risk for DM and may be at increased risk for CHD. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 32:298–306, 2009