Sarcopenia in Gestational Diabetes

NCT ID: NCT06876090

Last Updated: 2025-11-21

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

200 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-05-28

Study Completion Date

2026-04-30

Brief Summary

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Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, and physical performance deterioration. Prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly people is remarkably high (prevalence of about 25% in 60+ years people). In type 2 diabetes (T2D), sarcopenia is emerging as comorbidity of major concern. Sarcopenia, however, is not limited to elderly people, as it can develop also in younger individuals with prevalence around 9% or even higher according to some investigators. Of note, sarcopenia has been reported even in the 20-29 years interval. This interval includes women of childbearing age, thus raising the question whether sarcopenia may occur also in women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and whether this may affect pregnancy outcomes. Also, association between sarcopenia and cognitive impairment has been repeatedly reported, to the point that some authors have emphasized the importance of early sarcopenia recognition for prevention of cognitive impairment. Therefore, our main aims are:

1. To ascertain whether sarcopenia is present in GDM and, in that case, its prevalence;
2. To identify risk factors for sarcopenia;
3. To determine sarcopenia impact on pregnancy outcomes, and cognitive function.

During pregnancy, all women will undergo oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for assessment of the glucometabolic condition. Several clinical variables of interest in sarcopenia will also be recorded. As regards the OGTT data, special focus will be on the assessment of insulin resistance, both at fasting and during the dynamic conditions determined by the OGTT. Notably, the special interest for insulin resistance is due to the reason that this type of metabolic alteration is known to be a risk factor for sarcopenia. In fact, all women will then undergo testing for diagnosis of sarcopenia (or presarcopenia), and all data and parameters will be analyzed to identify relationships between sarcopenia-related variables and GDM-related ones. It is worth noting that in consideration of the exacerbated insulin resistance condition often observed in GDM, the investigators expect indeed a not negligible prevalence of sarcopenia (or at least presarcopenia) in GDM women, despite the young (non-elderly) age. In addition, since insulin resistance is often present in pregnancy even in the absence of dysglycemia, the investigators do not exclude to identify some cases of sarcopenia/presarcopenia even in pregnant non-GDM women. This study will be the basis for future studies (also of interventional type), especially in women with GDM for prevention of sarcopenia and related possible pregnancy complication and adverse pregnancy outcomes, as well as for possibly contributing to mitigation of risk for T2D development in later life.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Sarcopenia Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Pregnancy Complications Adverse Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Cognitive Function

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Gestational diabetes (GDM) women

Sarcopenia tests (for muscle mass, muscle function, physical performance)

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

We are not aware of any other study performing sarcopenia tests in GDM (or in pregnancy in general), with the aim of assessing sarcopenia prevalence in GDM/pregnancy, and related possible adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

The OGTT, in combination with the sarcopenia tests, will allow to explore the relationships between the glucometabolic condition and the muscle quality in the pregnant women, either with GDM or with normal glucose tolerance.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

The MoCA questionnaire, in combination with the sarcopenia tests, will allow to explore the relationships between the cognitive function the presence of the sarcopenia syndrome in the pregnant women, either with GDM or with normal glucose tolerance.

Pregnant women without gestational diabetes (non-GDM)

Sarcopenia tests (for muscle mass, muscle function, physical performance)

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

We are not aware of any other study performing sarcopenia tests in GDM (or in pregnancy in general), with the aim of assessing sarcopenia prevalence in GDM/pregnancy, and related possible adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

The OGTT, in combination with the sarcopenia tests, will allow to explore the relationships between the glucometabolic condition and the muscle quality in the pregnant women, either with GDM or with normal glucose tolerance.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment

Intervention Type OTHER

The MoCA questionnaire, in combination with the sarcopenia tests, will allow to explore the relationships between the cognitive function the presence of the sarcopenia syndrome in the pregnant women, either with GDM or with normal glucose tolerance.

Interventions

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Sarcopenia tests (for muscle mass, muscle function, physical performance)

We are not aware of any other study performing sarcopenia tests in GDM (or in pregnancy in general), with the aim of assessing sarcopenia prevalence in GDM/pregnancy, and related possible adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

The OGTT, in combination with the sarcopenia tests, will allow to explore the relationships between the glucometabolic condition and the muscle quality in the pregnant women, either with GDM or with normal glucose tolerance.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Montreal Cognitive Assessment

The MoCA questionnaire, in combination with the sarcopenia tests, will allow to explore the relationships between the cognitive function the presence of the sarcopenia syndrome in the pregnant women, either with GDM or with normal glucose tolerance.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

At least one among the following conditions:

* Age equal to or higher than 35 years;
* Body mass index (BMI) equal to or higher than 25 kg/m\^2;
* Glycemia between 5.6 and 6.9 mmol/L before or at the beginning of pregnancy;
* Fetal macrosomia in previous pregnancy;
* GDM in previous pregnancy;
* First-degree family history of diabetes.

* Twin pregnancy;
* Presence of any already known disease/disorder possibly affecting muscle mass or function;
* Neurological or psychiatric diseases;
* Already known diabetes (e.g., type 1 or type 2 diabetes).
Minimum Eligible Age

35 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Pisa

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Medical University of Vienna

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Istituto di Neuroscienze Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche

NETWORK

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Andrea Tura

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Obstetrics and Feto-Maternal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna

Vienna, , Austria

Site Status RECRUITING

Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council

Padua, PD, Italy

Site Status ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa

Pisa, PI, Italy

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Austria Italy

Central Contacts

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Andrea Tura

Role: CONTACT

+390498295786

Angela Dardano

Role: CONTACT

+39050995146

Facility Contacts

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Christian Göbl

Role: primary

+43 660/65 34 828

Angela Dardano

Role: primary

+39050995146

Other Identifiers

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B53D23022000006

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2022XYXRJN_LS4_PRIN2022

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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