Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 51 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Endocrinology

Maternal thyroid function and subsequent markers of insulin resistance in pregnant women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome

  • Anastasia Trouva1,2,3
  • Eszter Vanky4,5
  • Michael Alvarsson2
  • Jan Calissendorff2
  • Bjørn Olav Åsvold6,7,8
  • Dorina Ujvari1,9
  • Angelica Lindén Hirschberg1,10
10 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
  2. 2Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
  3. 3Centre for Clinical Research Sörmland, Uppsala University
  4. 4Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  5. 5Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital
  6. 6HUNT Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
  7. 7HUNT Research Center, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
  8. 8Department of Endocrinology, Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital
  9. 9Department Of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, National Pandemic Centre, Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet
  10. 10Department of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Objectives: Low maternal free thyroxine (fT4) levels have been associated with markers of insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. Our primary aim was to investigate whether maternal thyroid function was associated with subsequent insulin resistance in pregnant women with polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome (PMOS, previously known as PCOS).

Methods: In this post-hoc analysis of two randomized controlled trials, we used linear regression analyses to examine associations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and fT4 with parameters of metabolic profile (pre- and post-load glucose, fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in 284 pregnant women with PMOS who were randomized to metformin or placebo in early pregnancy. Blood samples were drawn at gestational weeks (gw) 5 to12, 19, 32 and 36. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed at inclusion, gw19 and 32.

Results: At baseline, the women had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 28.9 and HOMA-IR 3.2, and none had overt hypothyroidism. We found significant inverse associations between the change in TSH during pregnancy and post-load glucose at gw19, as well as fasting glucose at gw36, i.e. the smaller increase in maternal TSH, the higher subsequent maternal glucose levels. Furthermore, lower maternal fT4 levels were significantly associated with higher subsequent insulin/HOMA-IR levels, and the change in TSH was also inversely associated with HOMA-IR at gw32. All associations were independent of treatment with metformin or placebo.

Conclusions: In this exploratory post-hoc analysis, a smaller maternal TSH increase and lower fT4 levels during pregnancy in overweight women with PMOS are associated with higher subsequent glucose and insulin/HOMA-IR levels later in pregnancy.

Related

  1. Associations of hirsutism and sexual function with mental health–related quality of life in women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
    Müjde Canday, Aslıhan Yurtkal, Tural Ismayilov
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsCrossref
  2. Swedish matched cohort on the association between maternal polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome and next-generation cancer risk
    Romina Fornes, Unnur Gudnadottir, Sheila Orwa +3
    JNCI Cancer SpectrumPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsPMC
  3. Age-specific association between remnant cholesterol and insulin resistance in women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
    Chiyuan Yu, Zhonghua Sun, Qinyao Wu +3
    Frontiers in endocrinologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEndocrinology & metabolismEurope PMCCrossref
  4. Real‐World Metabolic Improvements in Women With and Without Polyendocrine Metabolic Syndrome via a Multidisciplinary Telehealth Care Platform
    Heather G. Huddleston, Rachel Blank, Nandita Sommers +4
    Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolismPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEndocrinology & metabolismEurope PMC
  5. Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome in adolescents.
    Allison Furness, Sarah McQuillan
    CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadiennePeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{trouva2026maternal,
  title = {{Maternal thyroid function and subsequent markers of insulin resistance in pregnant women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome}},
  author = {Anastasia Trouva and Eszter Vanky and Michael Alvarsson and Jan Calissendorff and Bjørn Olav Åsvold and Dorina Ujvari and Angelica Lindén Hirschberg},
  journal = {Frontiers in Endocrinology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fendo.2026.1884684},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1884684/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Maternal thyroid function and subsequent markers of insulin resistance in pregnant women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
AU  - Anastasia Trouva
AU  - Eszter Vanky
AU  - Michael Alvarsson
AU  - Jan Calissendorff
AU  - Bjørn Olav Åsvold
AU  - Dorina Ujvari
AU  - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
JO  - Frontiers in Endocrinology
DO  - 10.3389/fendo.2026.1884684
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1884684/full
AB  - Objectives: Low maternal free thyroxine (fT4) levels have been associated with markers of insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. Our primary aim was to investigate whether maternal thyroid function was associated with subsequent insulin resistance in pregnant women with polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome (PMOS, previously known as PCOS).  Methods: In this post-hoc analysis of two randomized controlled trials, we used linear regression analyses to examine associations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and fT4 with parameters of metabolic profile (pre- and post-load glucose, fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in 284 pregnant women with PMOS who were randomized to metformin or placebo in early pregnancy. Blood samples were drawn at gestational weeks (gw) 5 to12, 19, 32 and 36. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed at inclusion, gw19 and 32.  Results: At baseline, the women had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 28.9 and HOMA-IR 3.2, and none had overt hypothyroidism. We found significant inverse associations between the change in TSH during pregnancy and post-load glucose at gw19, as well as fasting glucose at gw36, i.e. the smaller increase in maternal TSH, the higher subsequent maternal glucose levels. Furthermore, lower maternal fT4 levels were significantly associated with higher subsequent insulin/HOMA-IR levels, and the change in TSH was also inversely associated with HOMA-IR at gw32. All associations were independent of treatment with metformin or placebo.  Conclusions: In this exploratory post-hoc analysis, a smaller maternal TSH increase and lower fT4 levels during pregnancy in overweight women with PMOS are associated with higher subsequent glucose and insulin/HOMA-IR levels later in pregnancy.
SN  - 1664-2392
ER  -