Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and pregnancy

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age, is a growing public health problem in the world.(1) The nutritional status represents one of the most important factor that determines individual wellbeing, in particolar maternal- fetal health, during and after pregnancy. (2) Obese women compared to normal-weight have a higher risk of having reduced sensitivity to insulin. The combination of obesity and reduced insulin sensitivity, increases the long-term risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. The number of pre-obese women (25> BMI <30) and obese (BMI> 30) who become pregnant is definitely on the rise (3) . The state of nutrition is one of the most important determinant the welfare of the individual, especially of the maternal-fetal development; often even the flexibility of the metabolic response of the pregnant woman is able to correct for the imbalance and nutritional pregravid / or metabolic alterations induced by lifestyle; therefore, negative events can be correlated with being overweight.. For metabolic disorders evolved during a normal pregnancy, particularly showing a 60% reduction in insulin sensitivity, these women have a higher risk of metabolic disregulation and complications and adverse fetal outcomes, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, increased incidence of cesarean section, macrosomia and fetal death (4). The metabolic syndrome is a combination of cardiometabolic risk determinants such as obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver, hypertension. Pregnancy in these women may be seen as a metabolic stress test for the future risk of metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is increasing worldwide as a result of obesity, with a significant impact on the incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.