What is the best cut-off point for screening gestational diabetes in Turkish women?

Abstract

To find an optimal threshold level with higher sensitivity and specificity for screening of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Turkish pregnant women. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study. Screening for GDM was performed in all pregnant women between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation using the 1 h 50 g glucose challenge test (GCT) with a subsequent 3 h 100 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for confirmation if screened positive. The glucose values obtained were analyzed by both the Carpenter and Coustan (C&C criteria) and National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) criteria. Results: There were 808 women meeting the study inclusion criteria. There were 66 (8.1%) women diagnosed with GDM using the C&C criteria and 45 (5.7%) using the NDDG criteria. The best cut-off point for GCT was 132 mg/dL for detecting GDM. No diabetes was found below the glucose level of 130 mg/dL. Conclusion: GCT is suitable for screening of Turkish women, but place of residence as well as race must be taken into consideration to establish the best cut-off level of GCT, since ethnic and environmental factors may contribute to the occurrence of GDM.