title: Dietary glycemic index during pregnancy is associated with biomarkers of the metabolic syndrome in offspring at age 20 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Growing evidence indicates that metabolic syndrome is rooted in fetal life with a potential key role of nutrition during pregnancy. The objective of the study was to assess the possible associations between the dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) during pregnancy and biomarkers of the metabolic syndrome in young adult offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dietary GI and GL were assessed by questionnaires and interviews in gestation week 30 and offspring were clinically examined at the age of 20 years. Analyses based on 428 mother-offspring dyads were adjusted for maternal smoking during pregnancy, height, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), education, energy intake, and the offspring's ambient level of physical activity. In addition, possible confounding by gestational diabetes mellitus was taken into account.
  
  
  METHODS
  Waist circumference, blood pressure, HOMA insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and plasma levels of fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, insulin, and leptin were measured in the offspring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant associations were found between dietary GI in pregnancy and HOMA-IR (the relative increase in HOMA-IR per 10 units' GI increase was 1.09 [95% CI: 1.01, 1.16], p = 0.02), insulin (1.09 [95% CI: 1.02, 1.16], p = 0.01) and leptin (1.21 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.38], p = 0.01) in the offspring; whereas no associations were detected for GL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggests that high dietary GI in pregnancy may affect levels of markers for the metabolic syndrome in young adult offspring in a potentially harmful direction.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Fetal Programming, Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark. ind@ssi.dk
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Danielsen
authors.forename: Charlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Granström
authors.forename: Thorhallur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haldorsson
authors.forename: Dorte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rytter
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hammer Bech
authors.forename: Tine Brink
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.forename: Allan Arthur
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Vaag
authors.forename: Sjurdur Frodi
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers