Maternal Diabetes and Risk of Early-Onset Cardiovascular Diseases in Offspring

Are maternal diabetes and its subtypes associated with long-term risks of overall and specific cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in offspring, and if so, are these associations mediated by perinatal and early-life factors?In this cohort study of 4 274 414 individuals in Sweden, maternal diabetes during pregnancy was associated with increased risks of overall CVD and some CVD subtypes in offspring. Congenital heart disease, preterm birth, and large for gestational age in part mediated these associations.These findings suggest that adverse perinatal and early-life factors, especially congenital heart disease and preterm birth, represent clinically relevant pathways and time windows for early cardiovascular risk assessment in offspring of mothers with diabetes.

Corresponding Authors: Xingbo Mo, PhD, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1E, 113 65 Stockholm, Sweden (xingbo.mo@ki.se).

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