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Inositol fails to prevent gestational diabetes
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Women with a family history of diabetes assigned antenatal inositol plus folic acid developed gestational diabetes at the same rate as those assigned folic acid alone, according to findings published in Diabetes Care.
Maria Farren, MD, BCh, BAO, of Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital in Dublin, and colleagues evaluated data from 240 women (mean age, 31.3 years) to determine whether inositol in a combination of myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol prevents gestational diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to 1,100 mg myo-inositol, 27.6 g D-chiro-inositol and 400 µg folic acid (n = 120) or to 400 µg folic acid alone (n = 120) per day. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed on all participants between 24 and 28 weeks’ gestation. Participants were recruited between January 2014 and July 2015.
Participants assigned to the intervention spent a mean 183.6 days in the study compared with 181.2 days among controls (P = .56). There was no difference between the two groups for study compliance.
The rate of gestational diabetes was higher in the intervention group (23%) compared with the control group (18%; P = .34). Among participants with normal weight, the rate of gestational diabetes was lower among the intervention group (10%) compared with controls (13%; P = .66). Among participants with overweight or obesity, the rate of gestational diabetes was higher among the intervention group (35%) compared with the control group (24%; P = .17).
Both groups had the same mean fasting plasma glucose level on OGTT (81 mg/dL).
“Contrary to previous research, our [randomized controlled trial] found [myo-inositol]/[D-chiro-inositol] in combination did not reduce the incidence of [gestational diabetes] in those at risk because of a family history of [diabetes],” the researchers wrote. “Therefore, [myo-inositol]/[D-chiro-inositol] at this dose should not be considered in routine antenatal supplementation. Indeed, we recommended that companies that manufacture antenatal supplements should not add inositol to their products, as there is not enough known regarding its efficacy.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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