Assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment has been suggested to increase the risk of gestational diabetes (GDM), though the nature of this association remains unclear. In the attempt to gain more insight in such an association we have carried out a study to evaluate whether ART represents an independent risk factor for GDM in single pregnancies. We collected retrospectively clinical and anthropometric data of 221 ART- and 256 age and BMI matched women with natural conception (NC) screened for GDM between 2011-2019. Out of 477 women, 32 were excluded from the analysis due to multiple pregnancies (PMA: 24; CN: 8). Between the two groups there were no differences in age (ART: 39 ± 5; NC: 38 ± 3 years; ns), BMI (ART: 23.6 ± 4.4; NC: 22.9 ± 3.6 Kg/m2; ns) and family history of diabetes (ART: 31.4%; NC: 24.2%; ns). ART-women were more frequently primiparous (62.6% vs. 22.6%; p<0.0001), while a higher prevalence of previous GDM was observed among NC-women (9.7% vs. 2.6%; p=0.002). The prevalence of GDM in the whole cohort was 36.1% and was significantly higher in women with ART (52.3% vs. 23.4%; p <0.0001). In the whole cohort, risk factors for GDM were: age (OR 1.07 95% CI 1.02-1.13), first degree family history of diabetes (OR 2.02 95% CI 1.31-3.10), previous GDM (OR 2.09 95% CI 1.39- 3.14), pre-pregnancy obesity (OR 3.28; 95% CI 1.57-6.86) and ART (OR 3.59; 95% CI: 2.39 - 5.39). On multivariate analysis, family history of diabetes (OR 1.67; 95% CI: 1.03-2.69), previous GDM (OR 7.05; 95% CI: 2.92-17.04); pre-pregnancy obesity (OR 2.72; 95% CI 1.21-6.13) and ART (OR 4.14; 95% CI 2.65-6.48) were independent risk factors for GDM . Among women requesting ART treatment, at least one in two develops GDM, and ART appears to be an independent risk factors for GDM. Disclosure C. Bianchi: None. C. Della Pelle: None. G. de Gennaro: None. M. Aragona: None. V. Cela: None. S. DelPrato: None. A. Bertolotto: None.
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