Association between the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a second analysis based on data from a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Although there is strong evidence linking triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio to insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, its clinical importance in pregnant women has not been well determined. This study sought to determine the connection between the TG/HDL-C ratio in the first trimester and the eventual onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of open-access data from a prospective cohort study. This present study included 590 singleton pregnant women at 10-14 weeks who visited the outpatient clinics for prenatal checks and were recorded at Incheon Seoul Women’s Hospital and Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center in Korea. A binary logistic regression model, a series of sensitivity analyses, and subgroup analysis were used to examine the relationship between TG/HDL-C ratio and incident GDM. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was also conducted to assess the ability of the TG/HDL-C ratio to predict GDM. RESULTS: The mean age of the included individuals was 32.06 ± 3.80 years old. The mean TG/HDL-C ratio was 1.96 ± 1.09. The incidence rate of GDM was 6.27%. After adjustment for potentially confounding variables, TG/HDL-C ratio was positively associated with incident GDM (OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.32-2.38, P=0.0001). Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analysis demonstrated the validity of the relationship between the TG/HDL-C ratio and GDM. The TG/HDL-C ratio was a good predictor of GDM, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.7863 (95% CI: 0.7090-0.8637). The optimal TG/HDL-C ratio cut-off value for detecting GDM was 2.2684, with a sensitivity of 72.97% and specificity of 75.05%. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the elevated TG/HDL-C ratio is related to incident GDM. The TG/HDL-C ratio at 10-14 weeks could help identify pregnant women at risk for GDM and may make it possible for them to receive early and effective treatment to improve their prognosis.