Effect of a high monounsaturated fatty acid diet on blood pressure and glucose metabolism in women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective: The effect of a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) on blood pressure, glycemic control, lipids and insulin sensitivity was eva luated in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Design and methods: PL randomized, unpaired diet intervention was performed in 27 women with gestational diabetes mellitus in an outpatient clinic. Af ter randomization the women received either a high-carbohydrate diet (H-CHO ) or a high-MUFA diet (H-MUFA) from the 33rd gestational week of pregnancy. Outcome measures were 24 h ambulatory blood pressure, blood lipids, glycem ic control and insulin sensitivity estimated by an intravenous glucose tole rance test. Results: The 24 h diastolic blood pressure increased more in the H-CHO grou p than in the H-MUFA group (P < 0.04). Conclusions: After 5 weeks of treatm ent with a MUFA-enriched diet. no increase in 24 h diastolic blood pressure and no adverse effects on blood lipids were seen. The favorable effect on the blood pressure by the MUFA diet is a possible non-medication treatment. The H-MUFA diet had no advantage to the H-CHO diet in ameliorating the dec line of insulin sensitivity in third term of pregnancy in GDM. Sponsorship: Sources of support were grants from the Mimi and Victor Larsen s Foundation, Nordisk Insulin Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Institute of Experimental Clinical Research, Aarhus University, Denmark. Aa rhus Olie Fabrik A/S, Aarhus, Denmark provided the hybrid sunflower oil. Th e Danish Medical Research Council provided the statistical assistance.