Background-Post-stenting ischemic events occur despite dual antiplatelet therapy suggesting that a "one size fits all" antithrombotic strategy has significant limitations. Ex vivo platelet function measurements may facilitate risk stratification and personalized antiplatelet therapy.

To assess the effects of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on intermediary metabolism in late pregnancy, circulating levels of glucose, FFA, triglycerides, cholesterol, and individual amino acids were monitored for 24 h while subjects received a liquid formula diet (containing 2110 cal and 275 g carbohydrate) in three equal feedings at 0800, 1300, and 1800. Attempts were made to distinguish between varying degrees of severity of gestational diabetes by subdividing the population into those with fasting plasma glucose within the normal range for pregnancy, i.e., below 105 mg/dl (GDM < 105), and those with fasting plasma glucose of 105 mg/dl or greater (GDM ^ 105). Both groups were compared with pregnant women with normal carbohydrate metabolism (NM). The diurnal profiles indicated that premeal, postprandial averages, and integrated 24-h values for plasma glucose were consistently higher in GDM ^ 105 than in GDM < 105; both GDM groups uniformly exceeded the values in NM. Plasma FFA tended to be higher in all GDM, with maximal increments occurring in the early hours before breakfast and assuming greatest significance in GDM > 105. The elevations in circulating cholesterol that occur in pregnancy were not significantly different at any time point in NM, GDM < 105, and GDM ^ 105. However, the increases in plasma triglycerides were greater in GDM < 105 and GDM > 105 than in NM and most marked in GDM > 105. Diurnal profiles for a number of individual amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, alanine, serine, proline) were not affected by gestational diabetes. However, certain other amino acids, particularly the branched chain (leucine, isoleucine, valine), tended to be elevated in subjects with GDM and to the most significant extent in GDM > 105. Although the GDM subjects tended to be heavier than the NM, the progressively more pronounced metabolic abnormalities in GDM > 105 than in GDM < 105 would suggest that relative insulinopenia rather than obesity contributed to the differences. Our findings indicate that gestational diabetes is attended by disturbances of varying degrees in all major classes of insulin-dependent foodstuffs and must be viewed as a disorder of multiple fuels, DIABETES CARE 3. -402-409, MAY-JUNE 1980. G estational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is usually ture medium in which the conceptus develops. 1 " 3 In keeping viewed as a minor abnormality in glucose ho-with this formulation it was reasoned that disturbances in meostasis. The present studies represent the first multiple aspects of maternal fuel economy would serve to enefforts to quantify the magnitude of the carbohy-hance the pathophysiologic implications of GDM for the drate abnormalities and to include amino acids, triglycerides, fetus. and cholesterol in the concurrent assessment of other fuels.Our efforts have indicated that even the mildest forms of Blood samples have been secured "around-the-clock" for 24 GDM are attended by demonstrable deviations from normal h in mothers with normal carbohydrate metabolism and in the circulating levels of e...

Race and sex affect thrombogenicity. We have demonstrated that platelet-fibrin clot characteristics can be used to stratify patients for risk of ischemic events following percutaneous coronary intervention. We investigated race and sex differences in thrombogenicty and the relation to ischemic risk in 252 consecutive African-American and Caucasian men and women undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention. Platelet-fibrin clot characteristics were measured using the Thrombelastograph Hemostasis System. The incidence of adverse ischemic events was assessed over a 6-month follow-up period. Overall, 40 ischemic events (15.9%) occurred. Adverse events were higher in African-Americans than Caucasians (P = 0.14), and in women than men (P = 0.004). The incidence was highest in African-American women (37.5%) and lowest in African-American men (6.5%). Measured Thrombelastograph parameters were significantly different between ischemic and nonischemic patients (P < 0.05). African-American women in the ischemic group exhibited higher thrombogenicity than the other race and sex groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression identified platelet-fibrin mediated clot strength (relative risk 2.52, P = 0.017) and sex (relative risk 2.56, P = 0.009) as significant independent predictors of ischemic events 6 months postpercutaneous coronary intervention. Thrombogenicity is a novel measurable cardiovascular risk factor that varies by race and sex, is highest in African-American women, and independently predicts the frequency of ischemic events following percutaneous coronary intervention. Point-of-service measurements of platelet-fibrin clot characteristics may lead to more intensified antithrombotic therapy and reduced mortality in selected patients.