Women who are insulin-resistant may have a higher risk of miscarriage, according to a new study.

The findings may offer new strategies for preventing repeated miscarriages in women with insulin resistance.

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Polycystic ovary syndrome link
Insulin resistance occurs when cells become less sensitive to the body's blood sugar-regulating hormone, which in turn increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition marked by insulin resistance and excessive amounts of male hormones like testosterone, face fertility problems and recurrent miscarriages.

But the study condutcted by Dr LaTasha Craig and colleagues from the University of Tennessee in Memphis found that treating these women with a drug that lowered blood insulin levels helped reduce their miscarriage risk.

Almost three times higher risk of miscarriage
The researchers investigated whether women without polycystic ovary syndrome who had suffered miscarriages repeatedly might also have insulin resistance.

They studied 74 women between the ages of 22 to 46 who had suffered at least two previous miscarriages, and compared them with 74 similarly aged women who had at least one child.

Among the women prone to miscarriages, 27% were insulin-resistant, compared with 9.5% of the women with children, the researchers found.

Dangerous environment for foetus
The researchers speculate that insulin resistance may cause an uncontrolled diabetic-like state in the foetal environment, resulting in increased risk of miscarriage.

Their findings are reported in the September issue of Fertility and Sterility. – (Health24)

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