Lifestyle intervention in early pregnancy can prevent gestational diabetes in high-risk pregnant women in the UAE: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE: A prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is approximately three times higher than the global rate in the UAE. However, it has not yet been studied whether a 12-week moderate-intensity lifestyle intervention can prevent gestational diabetes among pregnant women at high risk in this region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A pragmatic, open-label, randomized clinical trial was conducted. Sixty-three women aged 18 to 45 years, with ≤12 weeks of gestation, singleton pregnancy, and having ≥ two risk factors for GDM were randomly assigned to the Lifestyle Intervention (LI) group (n = 30) or Usual Care (UC) group (n = 33). The women in the LI group received a 12-week, moderate-intensity lifestyle intervention with individualized counseling on a diet, physical activity, and behavior change by a licensed dietitian. The women in the UC group received usual antenatal care. The primary outcome was the incidence of GDM based on the IADPSG criteria at 24-28 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: The incidence of GDM was 33.3% in LI group and 57.5% in UC group. The crude relative risk (RR) for GDM was 0.59 (95% CI, 0.32-1.04, p = 0.05). The multivariable logistic regression model without adjustment showed OR = 0.37 (95% CI, 0.13-1.02, p = 0.05) and after adjusting with Age, BMI and family history of diabetes reported OR = 0.26, 95%CI 0.07, 0.92, p = 0.04. in LI vs UC. The daily dietary intake of calories (− 120 kcal, p = < 0.01), carbohydrates (− 19 g, p < 0.01), and fat (− 5 g, p = 0.03) was reduced, and physical activity time (+ 52 min, p = 0.05) increased in the LI group after the intervention. However, the LI had no significant effect on maternal and neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: A 12-week moderate intensity lifestyle intervention in early pregnancy could reduce the relative risk of GDM by 41% among high-risk pregnant women in the UAE. These findings could impact public health outcomes in the region. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration Retrospectively registered NCT04273412,18/02/2020.