Journal of Syndromes
Research Article
Are there Racial Differences in β-cell Compensation among Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes?
Naito M, Furukawa S*, Ohno T And Kawase R
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kawakita General
Hospital, Asagaya-kita, Suginami City, Tokyo, Japan
*Address for Correspondence: Seishi Furukawa, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Kawakita General Hospital, Asagaya-kita, Suginami City, Tokyo, Japan. E-mail Id: shiiba46seishi@gmail.com
Submission: September 13, 2025
Accepted: October 07, 2025
Published: October 09, 2025
Accepted: October 07, 2025
Published: October 09, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Naito M, et al. This is an open access article
distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords:Pregnancy/β cell compensation /GDM / interracial differences/obese
Abstract
Introduction: To compare β cell compensation between foreign
and Japanese women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated pregnant women diagnosed with GDM who underwent measurements of HOMA-IR and HOMA-β. Subjects were divided into subgroups based on the cutoff value of HOMA-IR (≥1.4) indicating GDM positivity and nationality. Based on this classification, we compared HOMA-β and HOMA-IR during pregnancy and the postpartum period, as well as changes in body weight from pre-pregnancy to postpartum. Data are expressed as a number or median.
Results: The study included the following groups: foreign women with HOMA-IR ≥1.4 (G-F, n=18), Japanese women with HOMA-IR ≥1.4 (G-JH, n=31), and Japanese women with HOMA-IR <1.4 (G-JL, n=27). During pregnancy, there was no significant difference in HOMA-β between G-F and G-JH (134% vs.127%, p=0.75), whereas G-JL showed the lowest value (72%). Postpartum HOMA-β was significantly higher in G-F compared to G-JH (98% vs. 63%, p<0.01), with G-JL showing the lowest value (40%). In G-F, there were no significant differences in HOMA-β or HOMA-IR between the pregnancy and postpartum periods. In contrast, both G-JH and G-JL showed significant decreases in postpartum HOMA-β and HOMA-IR. Postpartum body weight did not return to pre-pregnancy levels in G-F, while it was recovered in G-JH.
Conclusions: In comparison with the postpartum period, an augmentation of insulin secretion was observed in Japanese GDM women, whereas it was not prominent in foreign women with HOMAIR ≥1.4. Elevated insulin resistance at the postpartum period, along with a lack of weight reduction, suggested that altered metabolic adaptation may be involved
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated pregnant women diagnosed with GDM who underwent measurements of HOMA-IR and HOMA-β. Subjects were divided into subgroups based on the cutoff value of HOMA-IR (≥1.4) indicating GDM positivity and nationality. Based on this classification, we compared HOMA-β and HOMA-IR during pregnancy and the postpartum period, as well as changes in body weight from pre-pregnancy to postpartum. Data are expressed as a number or median.
Results: The study included the following groups: foreign women with HOMA-IR ≥1.4 (G-F, n=18), Japanese women with HOMA-IR ≥1.4 (G-JH, n=31), and Japanese women with HOMA-IR <1.4 (G-JL, n=27). During pregnancy, there was no significant difference in HOMA-β between G-F and G-JH (134% vs.127%, p=0.75), whereas G-JL showed the lowest value (72%). Postpartum HOMA-β was significantly higher in G-F compared to G-JH (98% vs. 63%, p<0.01), with G-JL showing the lowest value (40%). In G-F, there were no significant differences in HOMA-β or HOMA-IR between the pregnancy and postpartum periods. In contrast, both G-JH and G-JL showed significant decreases in postpartum HOMA-β and HOMA-IR. Postpartum body weight did not return to pre-pregnancy levels in G-F, while it was recovered in G-JH.
Conclusions: In comparison with the postpartum period, an augmentation of insulin secretion was observed in Japanese GDM women, whereas it was not prominent in foreign women with HOMAIR ≥1.4. Elevated insulin resistance at the postpartum period, along with a lack of weight reduction, suggested that altered metabolic adaptation may be involved