Gestational diabetes mellitus: an opportunity of a lifetime

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus is defined as carbohydrate intolerance of any degree that begins or is first recognised during pregnancy. 1 American Diabetes AssociationDiagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2006; 29: 43-48 Google Scholar It complicates about 4% of all pregnancies in the USA 1 American Diabetes AssociationDiagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2006; 29: 43-48 Google Scholar and 3–5% in the UK, 2 Ben-Haroush A Yogev Y Hod M Epidemiology of gestational diabetes mellitus and its association with type 2 diabetes. Diabet Med. 2004; 21: 103-113 Crossref PubMed Scopus (612) Google Scholar although reported US prevalence rates vary between 1–14% 1 American Diabetes AssociationDiagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2006; 29: 43-48 Google Scholar —attributable to factors such as differences in diagnostic criteria used to define both gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus, 3 Carpenter MW Coustan DR Criteria for screening tests for gestational diabetes. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1982; 144: 768-773 Summary Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1490) Google Scholar , 4 National Diabetes Data GroupClassification and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and other categories of glucose intolerance. Diabetes. 1979; 18: 1039-1057 Crossref Scopus (5478) Google Scholar , 5 American Diabetes AssociationGestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2000; 23: 77-79 Google Scholar , 6 World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization: definition, diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus and its complications. WHO, Geneva1999 Google Scholar and the heterogeneous ethnic origins of populations studied. 7 Lawrence JM Contreras R Chen W Sacks DA Trends in the prevalence of pre-existing diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus among a racially/ethnically diverse population of pregnant women, 1999–2005. Diabetes Care. 2008; 31: 899-904 Crossref PubMed Scopus (471) Google Scholar Type 2 diabetes mellitus after gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysisIncreased awareness of the magnitude and timing of the risk of type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes among patients and clinicians could provide an opportunity to test and use dietary, lifestyle, and pharmacological interventions that might prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in affected women. Full-Text PDF