Nutritional Advice El Mondo
Objectives:
Free fatty acids, also known as nonesterified fatty acids, are proinflammatory molecules that induce insulin resistance in nonpregnant individuals. Nevertheless, the concentration of these molecules has not been systematically addressed in pregnant women. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.
Do higher plasma levels of free fatty acids increase risk of gestational diabetes mellitus?
Study design:
This review article included 12 case-control studies with a total of 2,426 women, from these, 21% (507/2,426) had a diagnosis of having gestational diabetes.
The mean gestational age at inclusion was 30.3 weeks of gestation.
The mean maternal age was 29 years.
No significant publication bias was found nor a trend towards greater results in small studies.
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found in random-effects model, when compared to controls, women with gestational diabetes had higher levels of free fatty acids [SMD = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.54-1.18, p 0.001, I2 = 91%].
Pooled results showed higher plasma levels of free fatty acid among women with gestational diabetes mellitus during the second trimester of pregnancy [SMD = 1.05 vs. 0.75].
The investigators found meta-regression analysis showed that the gestational age at inclusion was the only cofactor influencing the mean levels of free fatty acids, indicating a trend towards lower plasma levels of free fatty acids later in gestation [estimate = -0.074, 95% CI = -0.143 to -0.004, p = 0.036].
The investigators concluded that plasma levels of free fatty acids are higher in women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus and that this difference is higher during the second trimester of pregnancy. However, more investigation is needed to assess the potential role of free fatty acids in the prediction of gestational diabetes earlier in pregnancy.
Original title:
Plasma Levels of Free Fatty Acids in Women with Gestational Diabetes and Its Intrinsic and Extrinsic Determinants: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Villafan-Bernal JR, Acevedo-Alba M, […], Martinez-Portilla RJ.
Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6721400/
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on fatty acids and pregnancy right here.