Project description
Evaluating the impact of metformin on maternal and infant well-being
Obesity and poor cardiometabolic health are associated with high-risk pregnancies, foetal overgrowth and maternal complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. Hyperglycaemia in these pregnancies is treated with hypoglycaemic agents such as metformin, but its role in placental function, foetal growth and postnatal outcomes has not been elucidated. The aim of the EU-funded MIMICH project is to address this knowledge gap and investigate the impact of metformin on maternal and infant metabolic health during the gestational and postpartum periods. Results will contribute to a more evidence-based and tailored prescription of metformin and overall improved pregnancy outcomes in women with poor cardiometabolic health.
Objective
Increasing numbers of older, obese women with poor cardiometabolic health (dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, hypertension) are embarking on pregnancy. One in six of these high-risk pregnancies are complicated by an indicated preterm birth due to fetal growth restriction (FGR) or fetal overgrowth and/or maternal complications including gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. The cumulative cost of neonatal care, childhood and adult disease in individuals born preterm has been estimated at 1-3 billion pa in the UK. Older age, obesity, dyslipidaemia and hypertension are major risk factors for placental disease leading to FGR and pre-eclampsia. Conversely, hyperglycaemia is associated with fetal overgrowth and is therefore treated with hypoglycaemic agents such as metformin during pregnancy. In women with hyperglycaemia and concurrent risk factors for placental disease, the impact of metformin on placental function, fetal growth, and postnatal outcomes is not known. To address this evidence gap, I will perform an RCT which will incorporate a novel method of tracking fetal growth and investigate the impact of metformin on maternal and infant metabolic health at 12 months. The impact of metformin on gene expression and placental function will be assessed in placentas from women exposed (or not) to metformin. In the wider group of women with poor cardiometabolic health, I will map maternal disease biomarkers and fetal growth to molecular placental disease subtypes who have developed a range of pregnancy complications. The goals of this work are to improve pregnancy outcomes in women with poor cardiometabolic health by, (1) producing evidence to personalise the prescription of metformin (2) refining current diagnostic criteria to better reflect placental disease molecular subtypes, (3) understanding the associations between cardiometabolic health and placental disease such that drugs to treat hyperglycaemia, hypertension, dyslipidaemia can be tested in the right women.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine obstetrics
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition obesity
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
M13 9PL Manchester
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.