Maternal arterial stiffness in pregnancies affected by Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Aim There is little information about maternal central haemodynamics and arterial stiffness in pregnancies affected by Type 1 diabetes mellitus. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether maternal arterial stiffness is altered in pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus compared with women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study involving 37 pregnant women without diabetes and 37 pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus during the second trimester of pregnancy. Maternal wave reflection (augmentation index) and pulse wave velocity of the carotid‐femoral and carotid‐radial part of the arterial tree were assessed non‐invasively using applanation tonometry. Results Pregnant women with normal pregnancies and Type 1 diabetes mellitus had similar augmentation index (3.7 ± 12.8 vs. 5.1 ± 12.6%, P = 0.6), even after adjusting for possible confounders. Within the group of diabetic women, augmentation index was associated with duration of diabetes (P = 0.003, r² = 0.22) but not with glycated haemoglobin. Pulse wave velocities were similar between the two groups of women (carotid‐femoral: 5.6 ± 0.9 vs. 5.7 ± 1.1 m/s, P = 0.4; carotid‐radial: 7.4 ± 1.2 vs. 7.8 ± 1 m/s, P = 0.1). In the diabetic women there was no significant association between the pulse wave velocities and either duration of diabetes or glycated haemoglobin. Conclusions Pregnancy in women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus is not associated with altered maternal systemic arterial stiffness. However, maternal wave reflections increase with the duration of diabetes.