Gestational Diabetes, Preeclampsia, and Heart Disease

When I was pregnant, I dreaded the routine urine tests for glucose because I knew that developing gestational diabetes and possibly preeclampsia would be bad news not just for my baby, but for me. Kate Baggott at Babylune writes today about the risk of heart disease in later life for women with gestational diabetes or preeclampsia during pregnancy. According to the American Diabetes Association, about 4% of all pregnant women in the U.S. are affected by gestational diabetes each year.

Gestational diabetes could lead to the development of type 2 diabetes later in life. Type 2 diabetes in turn increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Similarly for preeclampsia, the high blood pressure involved usually goes away after delivery but it signals a greater tendency of developing hypertension later on.

Fortunately for me, I kept my weight gain to a minimum (10 kg) and got plenty of exercise. What was your pregnancy like?

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