June 2023 · Volume 12 · Issue 6 Page 1763 International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology Marandi S et al. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Jun;12(6):1763-1769 www.ijrcog.org pISSN 2320-1770 | eISSN 2320-1789 Original Research Article Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a manifestation of insulin resistance Satyabhama Marandi 1 , Surya D. 1 *, Kabita Chanania 1 , Tapasi Pati 1 , Sibananda Nayak 1 , Anju Mariam Jacob 1 , Praveen Kumar R. 2 INTRODUCTION Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) is a complication unique to human pregnancy affecting about 2-8% of pregnant women. It has significant maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. 1 WHO states, HDP remains a leading cause of direct maternal mortality. It is associated with abruptio placenta, cerebral haemorrhage, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hepatic failure and renal failure. Hypertension and/or proteinuria is the leading risk factor in pregnancy associated with stillbirth. PIH is also associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR), low birth weight, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), cerebral palsy (CP) and increased admissions to neonatal intensive care unit. According to American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologist (ACOG) and National High Blood Pressure Education Programme Working Group (NHBPEP) the DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20231551 1 Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India 2 Department of Radiodiagnosis, Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Received: 13 April 2023 Accepted: 06 May 2023 *Correspondence: Dr. Surya D., E-mail: suryambbs02@gmail.com Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT Background: Pregnancy is a unique physiological diabetogenic state characterised by increased insulin resistance that ensures adequate supply of nutrients to the developing fetus. The insulin sensitivity falls to upto 50 percent in the late pregnancy. Thus insulin resistance and the resultant hyperinsulinemia are the characteristics features that are evident in the normal pregnancy during third trimester. In Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), there is exacerbation of the physiological insulin resistance that occurs in normal pregnancy resulting in increased fasting serum insulin level. Methods: This is a case control study conducted on 90 antenatal women, during the study period of one and half years (from December 2020 to June 2022) in IMS and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar. With informed written consent and after fulfilling the criterias, 60 normotensive patients were chosen as controls and 30 pregnant patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were chosen as cases. After 8 hours of overnight fasting, 2ml of blood is drawn and processed by CMIA technology to detect fasting serum insulin levels. The mean fasting serum insulin levels were compared between the cases and the controls. Results: The mean fasting serum insulin level of controls was found to be 9.27 and the mean fasting serum insulin level of cases was found to be 15.01 which was higher than controls. This was found to be statistically significant with a P value of 0.000. Conclusions: Increased fasting serum insulin level is observed in women with HDP than normotensive pregnant women. Keywords: CMIA technology, Fasting serum insulin, Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, Insulin resistance