Association Between Serum Free Fatty Acids Levels and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a Cross-Sectional Study

Background: This study aimed to assess the relationship between serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Chinese pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among 779 eligible pregnant women who underwent detailed prenatal visits in Hangzhou, China. Results: Patients with GDM had significantly higher serum FFA levels than those without GDM. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that FFA levels were positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose, 1hPG, 2hPG, HOMA-IR, triglyceride, and sialic acid (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with serum amylase level (all with p < 0.05). Stepwise logistic regression analysis further showed that elevated FFA levels significantly contributed to the risk for GDM. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that serum FFA levels were significantly associated with GDM.