Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
|
Placebo group |
Metformin group |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) or n (%) | N | Mean (SD) or n (%) | N | ||
| Demographics and lifestyle | |||||
| Age (years) | 28·9 (5·1) | 223 | 28·7 (5·8) | 226 | |
| Currently smokes | 31 (14%) | 223 | 40 (18%) | 226 | |
| Currently drinks alcohol | 9 (4%) | 223 | 3 (1%) | 226 | |
| Illicit drug use | 1 (<1%) | 223 | 0 | 226 | |
| Highest educational qualification | |||||
| School for ≤16 years | 79 (35%) | 223 | 75 (33%) | 226 | |
| School for ≥16 years | 144 (65%) | 223 | 151 (67%) | 226 | |
| At least one previous pregnancy ≥12 weeks' gestation | 161 (73%) | 220 | 147 (65%) | 226 | |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 119·4 (10·4) | 223 | 117·6 (10·8) | 226 | |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 68·9 (7·3) | 223 | 68·0 (7·8) | 226 | |
| Gestation at baseline (days) | 98·9 (8·7) | 223 | 99·1 (8·1) | 226 | |
| Medical history | |||||
| Pre-eclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension | 7 (3%) | 223 | 10 (4%) | 226 | |
| Pre-pregnancy hypertension requiring treatment | 2 (1%) | 223 | 1 (<1%) | 226 | |
| Polycystic ovary syndrome | 21 (9%) | 223 | 28 (12%) | 226 | |
| Depression requiring treatment | 71 (32%) | 223 | 48 (21%) | 226 | |
| Anxiety requiring treatment | 20 (9%) | 223 | 15 (7%) | 226 | |
| Family history | |||||
| Cardiovascular disease | 69 (31%) | 223 | 71 (31%) | 226 | |
| Pre-eclampsia | 22 (10%) | 223 | 19 (8%) | 226 | |
| Diabetes | 101 (45%) | 223 | 99 (44%) | 226 | |
| Other | 96 (43%) | 223 | 109 (48%) | 226 | |
| Anthropometry | |||||
| Height (cm) | 165·1 (5·9) | 223 | 165·5 (5·9) | 226 | |
| Weight (kg) | 102·9 (17·0) | 223 | 103·6 (15·5) | 226 | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 37·7 (5·6) | 223 | 37·8 (4·9) | 226 | |
| Waist (cm) | 108·7 (13·5) | 222 | 110·1 (11·9) | 225 | |
| Hip (cm) | 126·4 (12·1) | 222 | 127·4 (11·8) | 225 | |
| Mid-arm (cm) | 36·3 (5·0) | 220 | 36·7 (4·7) | 221 | |
| Mid-thigh (cm) | 64·1 (7·7) | 219 | 64·2 (6·9) | 222 | |
| Tricep skinfold (mm) | 31·2 (9·7) | 222 | 31·9 (10·8) | 222 | |
| Bicep skinfold (mm) | 25·7 (10·0) | 222 | 27·4 (10·9) | 222 | |
| Subscapular skinfold (mm) | 32·0 (12·2) | 222 | 32·6 (11·8) | 220 | |
| Maternal fat (%)* | 46·8 (5·6) | 48 | 48·2 (5·2) | 53 | |
| Blood tests | |||||
| Fasting glucose (mmol/L) | 4·39 (0·34) | 223 | 4·41 (0·40) | 226 | |
| 2 h glucose (mmol/L)† | 5·50 (1·09) | 223 | 5·20 (1·08) | 226 | |
| Fasting insulin (pmol/L) | 153·35 (70·84) | 189 | 152·44 (85·15) | 188 | |
| HOMA-IR score‡ | 4·36 (2·16) | 189 | 4·36 (2·76) | 188 | |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 11·1 (7·4) | 221 | 10·7 (6·9) | 223 | |
| Cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4·87 (1·15) | 216 | 4·88 (1·09) | 214 | |
| HDL (mmol/L) | 1·67 (0·39) | 215 | 1·64 (0·38) | 214 | |
| LDL (mmol/L) | 2·91 (0·78) | 194 | 2·89 (0·86) | 191 | |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 1·51 (0·53) | 216 | 1·43 (0·56) | 214 | |
| Interleukin-6 (mmol/L) | 2·77 (5·50) | 189 | 2·63 (4·37) | 188 | |
| Leptin (ng/mL) | 93·6 (42·1) | 189 | 98·5 (40·3) | 188 | |
| Serum cortisol (nmol/L) | 396·4 (143·6) | 189 | 431·0 (178·8) | 188 | |
| NEFA (mmol/L) | 0·52 (0·20) | 189 | 0·48 (0·18) | 188 | |
| PAI-1 to PAI-2 ratio | 1·48 (1·39) | 131 | 1·77 (5·22) | 128 | |
| Putative father details | |||||
| Height (cm) | 178·5 (8·3) | 204 | 177·1 (13·7) | 202 | |
| Weight (kg) | 92·3 (22·5) | 187 | 93·5 (25·8) | 188 | |
| Ethnic origin | |||||
| White | 214 (96%) | 223 | 210 (94%) | 224 | |
| Mixed | 4 (2%) | 223 | 4 (2%) | 224 | |
| Asian | 0 | 223 | 3 (1%) | 224 | |
| Black | 4 (2%) | 223 | 6 (3%) | 224 | |
| Chinese | 0 | 223 | 0 | 224 | |
| Other | 1 (<1%) | 223 | 1 (<1%) | 224 | |
| (Table 1 continues on next page) | |||||
HOMA-IR= homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. NEFA=non-esterified fatty acids. PAI=plasminogen activator inhibitor.
*
Measured only in Edinburgh participants.
†
After a 75 g oral glucose challenge.
‡
Fasting glucose (mmol/L) x insulin (μIU/L).