European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background and Objectives There exists a limited body of research investigating the correlation between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with fetal epicardial fat thickness (FEFT). The primary objective of this study was to assess the potential of FEFT as an indicator for screening GDM in pregnant women. The study was designed as a cross-sectional analytical investigation. Materials & methods The study incorporated pregnant women who were scheduled to undergo a 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Antenatal ultrasonography (USG) were conducted in all patients. Among the total of 200 patients, a subset of 70 patients was selected for further analysis. This subset included 35 patients with elevated results in the 75g OGTT (indicating cases of GDM) and 35 patients with normal results. Results: There was a significant increase in FEFT among pregnant women with GDM. Furthermore, the elevated FEFT demonstrated a positive correlation with 2-hour OGTT serum glucose values. The mean FEFT in mothers with GDM was found to be significantly larger compared to mothers without GDM. To assess the predictive capability of FEFT for GDM, an ROC curve was constructed which demonstrated a high sensitivity of 95.57% and specificity of 91% for FEFT as a predictor of GDM. Conclusion: Assessing the FEFT in fetuses could serve as a novel marker for diagnosing GDM.