Gestational Diabetes Increases Your Risk of Developing Heart Disease, Here is How

Did you know, gestational diabetes affects approximately 20 per cent of expecting mothers globally? Read on to know how it affects a woman's heart health.

If you have a history of gestational diabetes means if you had developed diabetes during pregnancy, you are at a high risk of developing heart disease later in life even if achieved a healthy level of blood sugar. Yes, you read that right. And, considering the increasing prevalence of gestational diabetes in India and worldwide, ladies need to be extra cautious about their cardiovascular health.

According to the data published in the India Journal of Community Medicine, “gestational diabetes is a major public health problem in India with reported prevalence rate between 4.6 to 14 per cent in urban areas and 1.7 – 13.2 per cent in rural areas.” An ANI report reveals that gestational diabetes affects approximately 20 per cent of expecting mothers globally.

How Gestational Diabetes Leads to a Heart Disease?

When you become pregnant, your placenta starts producing insulin-blocking hormones so that your baby can get nutrients from your blood for longer duration. A certain level of insulin resistance during pregnancy is normal. But, when it starts increasing, you body becomes vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases.

Having an abnormally high level of blood sugar during pregnancy can not only affect the woman but her child too. The condition damages your blood vessels and nerves that are responsible for controlling your heart and blood vessels. This further leads to cardiovascular disease. Gestational diabetes also enhances your risk of artery build-up which is a sign of heart problems.

Children born to women with diabetes during pregnancy are usually at a high risk of developing heart problems, oral clefts, kidney and gastrointestinal tract defects, brain and spinal defects, and limb deficiencies.

Warning Signs of Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes during pregnancy affects how your body cells use glucose and causes high blood sugar level that’s debilitating for the mother and baby too. Mostly, women do not experience any noticeable signs of diabetes during pregnancy. Those who do, complain of frequent urination, increased thirst, fatigue, snoring, vaginal, bladder, or skin infection.

How to Prevent Gestational Diabetes?

To be able to keep gestational diabetes at bay, you firstly need to know its major risk factors. Some of them include obesity before the age of 25, family history of type 2 diabetes, having high blood pressure before pregnancy, suffering from PCOS etc. To lower your risk of developing gestational diabetes, you need to improve your diet and indulge in exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes. Follow a set routine and eat healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, green veggies etc. Include lean protein containing foods like fish, tofu and beans in your daily diet. Also, have healthy fats from coconut oil, nuts and olive oil. Do not opt for processed food items and sugary beverages.