£400,000 Funding for Gestational Diabetes Research

New study to investigate gestational diabetes impact on mothers and children

The University of Bradford has received over £400,000 in funding to conduct a study examining gestational diabetes among pregnant women from different ethnic backgrounds. The research will focus on understanding how gestational diabetes affects vascular health in both mothers and their children.

Details of the research project

The three-year study will be led by Dr Kirsten Riches-Suman, Associate Professor of Biomedical Science at the University of Bradford. It will involve recruiting 100 pregnant women of white Caucasian and South Asian heritage who are considered at high risk of developing gestational diabetes.

Participants will be monitored during pregnancy and for 18 months following childbirth. Researchers will assess the health of their blood vessels using clinical markers. Additionally, tissue samples from the placenta and umbilical cord collected at birth will undergo laboratory analysis to explore vascular function.

The study has been awarded £419,500 by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Background on gestational diabetes

• Gestational diabetes is a temporary form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy and typically resolves after delivery.
• Women who experience gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.
• Children born to mothers with gestational diabetes are more likely to face overweight issues and metabolic or cardiovascular problems.
• Globally, gestational diabetes affects approximately 14% of pregnancies, with higher rates observed in South Asian populations (up to 21%).
• Additional risk factors include advancing maternal age and socio-economic status.

Study methodology

The research aims to identify molecular and cellular causes of vascular dysfunction related to gestational diabetes in women from both Caucasian and South Asian backgrounds. The study will involve:

• Recruiting pregnant women during routine NHS antenatal appointments, specifically at 24 to 28 weeks for oral glucose tolerance testing.
• Collecting placenta and umbilical cord tissue at delivery, including umbilical arteries, veins, and placental blood vessels for analysis.
• Recruiting 40 teenagers, matched by age and gender, whose mothers participated in the Born in Bradford (BiB) study, to assess their vascular health.
• Linking vascular health data with individual characteristics such as Body Mass Index (BMI), ethnicity, and maternal health information collected at delivery.

Significance of the research

This study seeks to improve understanding of how gestational diabetes influences long-term health outcomes for both mothers and their children, particularly in ethnically diverse populations. The findings could contribute to developing targeted therapies and interventions aimed at reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease following gestational diabetes.