Women who don't lose all their "baby weight" within the first year after giving birth could be setting themselves up for diabetes, heart disease or a stroke later in life, new Canadian research suggests.

In a study published Tuesday in the journal Diabetes Care, Toronto researchers found women who maintained excess pounds between three and 12 months postpartum had elevated risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

To conduct the study, researchers monitored 305 obstetrical patients throughout pregnancy and during the year following delivery.

About three-quarters of the women lost at least some of their baby weight by one year. Tests at three and 12 months postpartum showed their cholesterol, blood pressure and other cardiometabolic measures were at healthy levels.

But one-quarter of women who did not trim pregnancy weight or even added extra pounds during that period showed elevated levels at 12 months postpartum, which had not been present at the three-month mark.

"At this stage in their life, these are women of child-bearing age. They're not that old. They're very healthy," said Retnakaran, adding that subtle changes in their blood pressure and other measures may not immediately raise a red flag for doctors.

Source : the Canadian Press