Journey from Fertility to Pregnancy Unveils Potential Risks

Elevated blood sugar during pregnancy is linked to weakened heart health in women undergoing fertility treatment, indicating a potential impact of pre-pregnancy stress on cardiovascular well-being as per a study published in the new Journal of the Endocrine Society (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Preconception Stress and Pregnancy Serum Glucose Levels Among Women Attending a Fertility Center

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People’s stress levels have continued to rise over the years, particularly in the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting them at risk for serious health issues such as heart disease.

Research shows women may experience more stress than men, especially those going through infertility. Maintaining a healthy pregnancy is important for both mothers and their children.

“We found that maternal stress, evaluated before pregnancy, is negatively associated with cardiovascular health, measured as glucose levels during pregnancy,” said study author Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Mass.

“Our results highlight the importance of considering preconception as a sensitive window of stress about cardiovascular health during pregnancy. A few ways women can lower their stress levels include being more active, avoiding alcohol and drugs, eating healthy, and avoiding isolation.”

The authors analyzed self-reported stress levels in 400 women at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center in Boston, Mass., before they became pregnant and measured their blood sugar levels in late pregnancy.

Connection Between Stress, Blood Sugar, And Heart Health

They found women with high levels of stress before pregnancy were more likely to have high blood sugar during pregnancy.

Women who conceived through intrauterine insemination (IUI) had higher stress and blood sugar levels than those who conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

“This may be explained by the fact that IUI treatment has shown less effectiveness as an infertility treatment compared to IVF, so women undergoing IUI may experience more distress compared to those going through IVF,” Mínguez-Alarcón said.

The researchers also found stress and blood sugar levels were higher among women with high socioeconomic status. Mínguez-Alarcón explained the possible reason for this finding could be women with higher incomes and education levels may be employed in demanding time-intensive jobs.

“It has previously been shown that those with a higher education level experience greater levels of job stress, with stronger associations found in women than in men,” Mínguez-Alarcón said.

“Given that education level is positively associated with salary, it is possible that this explanation applies to women with higher incomes as well. Professional women are often also responsible for balancing demands in the workplace with household duties and childcare.”

Reference:

1. Preconception Stress and Pregnancy Serum Glucose Levels Among Women Attending a Fertility Center
   – (https://academic.oup.com/jes/article/8/1/bvad152/7499157?login=true)

Source-Eurekalert