RESULTS
Overall, 301 women were enrolled, of them, 143 women in the study group
and 158 in the control group. The groups were similar with regard to
demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, parity, and
pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (Table 1). Both groups were similar
in the parameters considered as risk factors for insulin resistance and
GDM, such as gestational weight gain, previous GDM, diabetes among
first-degree relatives, glucose values during the first trimester, and
GCT result.
The rate of suboptimal glucose control was higher in the study group
(14% vs. 5.1% in comparison to the control group, P =.01) (Table
2). There was no significant group difference in the need for insulin
treatment to achieve desired levels of glycemic control after dietary
adjustment and enhanced physical activity. Other secondary outcome
measures, such as birthweight, mode of delivery, and prevalence of
hyperglycemia-related complications (polyhydramnios, macrosomia) were
also similar between the study groups (Table 2).
A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a low glucose value
of 100 gr at 3 hours was associated with a higher incidence of
suboptimal glucose control (odds ratio 3.1, confidence interval [CI]
1.35-7.83, P =.01). The effects of factors that are traditionally
considered predictors of insulin resistance on suboptimal daily glucose
profile, such as BMI, first trimester fasting glucose, and weight gain,
did not reach a level of significance (Fig. 1).