In January 2026, researchers from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and the School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, published a study entitled “Gestational Diabetes History and Cardiovascular Health Assessed by Life’s Essential 8 across Postpartum Intervals” in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an international journal in the cardiovascular field. A brief introduction to this GDM-related study is provided below.
The global prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is 7%–14%. As a common pregnancy complication, GDM not only causes adverse perinatal outcomes for mothers and infants but also increases the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) postpartum. However, most existing studies focus on clinical cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke, with relatively insufficient attention to earlier subclinical risks, especially the long-term dynamic effects.
Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), developed by the American Heart Association (AHA), serves as a comprehensive metric for quantifying cardiovascular health (CVH) and can reflect early changes in CVH. This study aimed to fill the above research gap based on this indicator.
The study used data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018, finally including 6,721 female participants. Information on GDM history was obtained from questionnaire data; LE8 components were derived from examination, dietary, and questionnaire data, and LE8 scores were calculated according to standard criteria. Multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze the association between GDM history and LE8 scores, and stratification by every 10 years postpartum was performed to explore the temporal dynamics of this association.
Main ResultsWomen with a history of GDM had significantly lower postpartum LE8 scores (β = −3.88, 95% CI: −4.90 to −2.86). This reduction was mainly concentrated in the biological domain (β = −7.88, 95% CI: −9.25 to −6.51), with no significant difference in the behavioral domain. The association was consistent across different racial/ethnic groups.
Stratified analysis by age at GDM diagnosis showed that age at first diagnosis was strongly associated with postpartum CVH. Women diagnosed at age 35 years or older had a significantly greater reduction in LE8 scores than those diagnosed before age 35.
Analysis by postpartum period revealed that the adverse impact of GDM history on CVH was most prominent in the first 20 years postpartum, then gradually weakened with longer postpartum duration. After 40 years postpartum, CVH levels were similar between the GDM and non-GDM groups, with no significant difference.
Using the LE8 comprehensive assessment metric recommended by the AHA, this study systematically clarified the long-term adverse effects of GDM history on women’s cardiovascular health postpartum. These findings not only fill the research gap regarding the long-term association between GDM and postpartum CVH but also precisely identify high-risk populations (women diagnosed with GDM after age 35) and a critical intervention window (within 20 years postpartum). This provides scientific evidence for promoting early CVH management across the full female life course and reducing the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease.