High Levels Of Iron May Be Linked With A Higher Risk Of Developing Gestational Diabetes, Study Indicates.

, “High levels of iron are linked with a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes (GDM),” researchers from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found after comparing “107 women with GDM and 214 pregnant women without gestational diabetes.” The findings were published online in Diabetologia. HealthDay (11/10, Reinberg) provides additional coverage. https://consumer.healthday.com/pregnancy-information-29/gestational-diabetes-974/too-much-iron-linked-to-gestational-diabetes-716752.html Iron may play a role in the development of gestational diabetes by increasing the levels of oxidative stress. In turn, that stress can cause damage or even death to pancreatic beta cells. These cells produce insulin, and damage or loss could lead to impaired insulin function. In the liver, high iron may induce insulin resistance, the researchers said