BMJ | November 2019 | Maternal diabetes during pregnancy and early onset of cardiovascular disease in offspring: population based cohort study with 40 years of follow-up| 67| l6398
A study that looked at the associations between maternal diabetes (diagnosed prior to or during pregnancy) and early onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) in offspring during their first four decades of life adds to the evidence around non-genetic intergenerational connections between maternal illness and risk factors for CVD among offspring. The experts who authored the study looked at data from more than 2 million births in Denmark between 1977 and 2016.

The findings from this population based study indicate that the children of mothers with diabetes, especially mothers with CVD history or diabetic complications, had increased rates of early-onset CVD throughout the early decades of life. If the associations are causal, then preventing and treating diabetes in women of childbearing age could have a significant impact on the reduction of CVD incidence in the next generation.
The authors argue that their findings highlight the importance of effective strategies for screening and preventing diabetes in women of childbearing age (Source: BMJ).
Read the full Opinion from BMJ
Yongfu, Y. et al | 2019| Maternal diabetes during pregnancy and early onset of cardiovascular disease in offspring: population based cohort study with 40 years of follow-up| BMJ |367| l6398|
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the associations between maternal diabetes diagnosed before or during pregnancy and early onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) in offspring during their first four decades of life.
Design Population based cohort study.
Setting Danish national health registries.
Participants All 2 432 000 liveborn children without congenital heart disease in Denmark during 1977-2016. Follow-up began at birth and continued until first time diagnosis of CVD, death, emigration, or 31 December 2016, whichever came first.
Exposures for observational studies Pregestational diabetes, including type 1 diabetes (n=22 055) and type 2 diabetes (n=6537), and gestational diabetes (n=26 272).
Main outcome measures The primary outcome was early onset CVD (excluding congenital heart diseases) defined by hospital diagnosis. Associations between maternal diabetes and risks of early onset CVD in offspring were studied. Cox regression was used to assess whether a maternal history of CVD or maternal diabetic complications affected these associations. Adjustments were made for calendar year, sex, singleton status, maternal factors (parity, age, smoking, education, cohabitation, residence at childbirth, history of CVD before childbirth), and paternal history of CVD before childbirth. The cumulative incidence was averaged across all individuals, and factors were adjusted while treating deaths from causes other than CVD as competing events.
Results During up to 40 years of follow-up, 1153 offspring of mothers with diabetes and 91 311 offspring of mothers who did not have diabetes were diagnosed with CVD. Offspring of mothers with diabetes had a 29% increased overall rate of early onset CVD ; cumulative incidence among offspring unexposed to maternal diabetes at 40 years of age 13.07%, difference in cumulative incidence between exposed and unexposed offspring 4.72% . The sibship design yielded results similar to those of the unpaired design based on the whole cohort. Both pregestational diabetes and gestational diabetes were associated with increased rates of CVD in offspring. We also observed varied increased rates of specific early onset CVDs, particularly heart failure, hypertensive disease, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. Increased rates of CVD were seen in different age groups from childhood to early adulthood until age 40 years. The increased rates were more pronounced among offspring of mothers with diabetic complications. A higher incidence of early onset CVD in offspring of mothers with diabetes and comorbid CVD was associated with the added influence of comorbid CVD but not due to the interaction between diabetes and CVD on the multiplicative scale.
Conclusions Children of mothers with diabetes, especially those mothers with a history of CVD or diabetic complications, have increased rates of early onset CVD from childhood to early adulthood. If maternal diabetes does have a causal association with increased CVD rate in offspring, the prevention, screening, and treatment of diabetes in women of childbearing age could help to reduce the risk of CVD in the next generation.
Offspring of mothers with diabetes, especially those mothers with a history of CVD or diabetic complications, have increased rates of early onset CVD from childhood to early adulthood
The article is available in full from The BMJ