Placental growth plays a key role in the link between maternal glucose levels in pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia.

ABSTRACT: Preeclampsia is a serious condition affecting 2-4% of pregnancies globally. However, it is more common in pregnancies with diabetes (e.g. 10-20% in Type 1 diabetes) than in pregnancies without diabetes. In the general population, higher maternal fasting glucose levels are observationally associated with higher risk of preeclampsia, but whether the relationship is causal is unknown. Based on previous research, we hypothesise that higher fasting glucose increases placental weight, likely through fetal insulin mediated growth, and higher placental weight increases the risk of preeclampsia. We used data from published genome-wide association studies on fasting glucose (N=281,416), placental weight (Nfetal=65,405, Nmaternal=61,228) and preeclampsia (Nfetal=377,975, Nmaternal=723,181) and indivi

SUBMITTER: Jaitner A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12633595 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature