Fertility in prediabetes and diabetes in Norway

Background:

Fertility, family planning and pregnancy outcomes are important health concerns for women and men with diabetes. Obesity, Type-2 diabetes and infertility is increasing in young adults, and influence risk for cardiovascular and diabetes-related disease and offspring health. Recent Danish analyses indicate an increased risk of birth defects in the offspring of men using metformin during spermatogenesis.

Aims:

improve understanding and treatment of reproductive health in women and men with diabetes in Norway.

Methods:

  1. Interview women of fertile age with type-2 diabetes on thoughts and experiences on reproductive health, and use results to adapt the DiaMester e-health program, and test its feasibility on 40 women planning pregnancy for improvement of lifestyle factors, medications and glucose control.

  2. Interviews of women with Type-1 diabetes on family planning, sexual health and pregnancy.

  3. Norwegian registry analysis of diabetes treatment in expecting fathers on the risk for birth defects in the offspring.

News from 2024

Obtained PhD funding from the DAM Foundation: “Improving pregestational health in women with type-2 diabetes: a feasiblity study of an e-health lifestyle program”, a collaboration with The DiaMester project DIACHIEVE — Oslo Diabetes Research Center). Projects start Q3 2025.

Running projects:

I: Interviews of women in fertile age with type-1 diabetes (MSc project approved 2023 for J.S.Anaruthan), resulted in 3 publications close to submission:

- Expectations and experiences about family planning and pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes – a qualitative study (first author J.S. Anurathan)

- Postnatal experiences and reflections about subsequent pregnancies in women with T1D (first author A. M. Stalheim)

-Sexual health in women with type-1 diabetes – a qualitative study (first author S.D. Steintorsdottir).

II: In analysis: Parental use of medications and pregnancy outcomes, from Norwegian registry data (first author P.Lopez-Doriga Ruiz).

Primary Investigator:

Project participants:

  • C. Varsi, RN, PhD. Vice dean for research. Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen. Research on patient experiences using qualitative methods. Co-supervisor in the T1D interview study and the T2D feasibility project.

  • P. Lopez-Doriga Ruiz, MD, PhD, Researcher, Dept. of Chronic Diseases and Ageing, Norwegian Institute of public health. Registry analysis -paternal metformin use

  • T. Lekva, post doc, MSc, PhD, Research Institute for Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital. Collaborator on the Stork infertility analyses
    M-C.P. Roland MD, PhD, Dept of Clinical Biochemsitry, Oslo University Hospital. Collaborator on the Stork infertility analyses

  • S.D. Steintorsdottir, MD, MSc, consultant in the Department of Endocrinology, Oslo University Hospital and PHD student, UiB. Collaborator on the Stork infertility analyses, the T1D interview study and the T2D feasibility project

  • K. Godang, Department of Endocrinology, Oslo University Hospital Collaborator on the Stork infertility analyses

  • JS. Anurathan, RSN, MSc Department of Endocrinology, Oslo University Hospital Collaborator on the interview study. PHD candidate in the T2D feasibility project.

  • K. Furu, MScPharm, MPH, PhD, senior researcher. Center for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of public health. Registry analysis -paternal metformin use

  • L. Wisting, Researcher, PhD, Oslo University Hospital, Division of Mental health Collaborator on the interview study and the T2D feasibility project

  • A.-M. Stalheim, RSN, MSc, PhD student Department of Obstetrics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo. Collaborator on the T1D interview study and the T2D feasibility project

    A.-M. Aas, Associate Professor, dietician, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo. PI of DiaMester, co-supervisor on the T2D feasibility project.

External collaborators:

  • E. Årsand, Professor, University of Tromsø, from the Dia Mester team, leading expert and developer of e-health self-management systems. Collaborator on the T2D feasibility project.

  • K. Berntorp, MD, PhD, Endocrinology Dept. of Endocrinology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden

  • M. Lukasse, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Vestfold

  • M. Memelink Iversen, Professor, PhD, RSN. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen

  • R. Bjarkøy Strandberg, Post doc, PhD, RSN. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen

Publications 2024

Presentation of results:

“Postnatal experiences and reflections about subsequent pregnancies in women with T1D“, at The Norwegian Diabetes Nursing Forum, Tønsberg Apr 24th, A Stalheim.

“Postnatal experiences and reflections about subsequent pregnancies in women with T1D”. Annual meeting of the Norwegian Endocrine Society, Tromsø March 7th, E. Qvigstad