A population-based assessment of pharmacological treatments for gestational diabetes
Description: Gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy) is one of the most common pregnancy complications. It can lead to harmful short-term (e.g., preterm birth) and long-term outcomes (e.g., heart disease) for both the mother and child. Proper control of a woman' blood sugar level is crucial in preventing these complications. Drugs are given to women who are not able to meet their target blood sugar levels through lifestyle interventions. Although insulin is the recommended treatment for gestational diabetes, it is inconvenient because it requires increased medical visits, injections, and intensive self-monitoring of one's blood sugar level. Insulin also is known to cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes that is taken orally, may represent an alternative treatment. However, there are safety concerns surrounding its use during pregnancy that require further investigation. There is currently no clear consensus regarding the effectiveness and safety of using metformin for gestational diabetes due to the limitations of the available evidence in this area. We will address this knowledge gap by conducting a study using the electronic health records of pregnant women with gestational diabetes in the United Kingdom using a database called the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. We will compare the occurrence of pregnancy outcomes with metformin to that with insulin. We will also study outcomes among the offspring. We will use rigorous statistical techniques to obtain valid treatment effects. This study will generate real-world evidence to help inform decisions made by government agencies, guideline writing committees, clinicians, and pregnant women. In doing so, it will improve the health of pregnant women with gestational diabetes and their offspring. With a growing number of women with gestational diabetes worldwide, this study will have important clinical and population health implications.
Amount: CA$191,300
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Project Grant
Start date: 2020-10-01
End date: 2022-09-30
Investigator: Kristian Filion
Institution: Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (Mtl)
Subfield: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Funded outputs count: 1
Funder award ID: 173271_1
OpenAlex ID: G6357972579