METABOLIC SYNDROME AND OBSTETRICAL COMPLI CATIONS

The increased incidence of maternal and fetal complications of pregnan cy among women with metabolic disorders (especially impaired glucose t olerance) is widely recognized. In a follow-up-examination 24 women wi th gestational complications (group A) but without evidence of manifes t metabolic disorders in a pregnancy 4-5 years before were compared wi th 24 women without complications of pregnancy (group B), which ware m atched for age, body-mass-index and number of births. In group A we fo und an increase of fasting plasma-insulin-levels, higher area-under-cu rve of insulin, greater M(-1)-values (corresponding to Cederholm et al .) and 2-hour-glucose-levels in an oral glucose tolerance test, and si gns of hypertriglyceridemia. We take this as evidence for a beginning insulin-resistance syndrom. Further investigations will be necessary t o confirm these preliminary results.