Prevalence and Factors Associated with Postpartum Glucose Intolerance Following Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Malaysia: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Postpartum glucose intolerance, including pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D), is an adverse outcome of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The review aims to summarize the prevalence and factors associated with postpartum glucose intolerance in women post-GDM in Malaysia. We performed a literature search on three databases (Pubmed, Science Direct and MyJurnal) for relevant studies. Based on five studies (n = 664) that included multiple ethnicities in Malaysia, postpartum glucose intolerance in women post-GDM ranged from 12.1% to 61.7%. Factors associated with postpartum glucose intolerance included maternal age; working status; education level; infant birth weight; maternal obesity; insulin treatment during GDM; glucose and HbA1c levels during pregnancy; duration lapse after GDM; postpartum levels of triglycerides, insulin resistance and HbA1c; and gut microbiota. Insulin treatment during GDM pregnancy was the most prevalent factor associated with postpartum glucose toleranceFurther studies on sociodemographic, biological and lifestyle risk factors of T2D in Malaysia are needed to understand the pathophysiology of T2D development in this high-risk population.