A new research from the scientists in the USA has claimed that elevated glucose level in pregnant women may affect the fetal heart development. The research potentially explains the reason behind high prevalence of congenital heart disease in children born to women with gestational diabetes. The study showed that the exposure of developing embryonic heart cells to higher glucose level leads to abnormal cell maturation. This leads to a 2-3-fold increased risk of congenital heart disease.
It was previously known that genetics play a big role in congenital heart disease, however, now it shows that gestational diabetes is the single most important non-genetic risk factor for the disease. To understand the effect of glucose on developing heart, the researchers used embryonic stem cells to grow cardiomyocytes and exposed them to an increased level of glucose. It was revealed that cells…
