Preventing type 2 diabetes: public health implications for women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus.

There is now strong evidence that lifestyle modification can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in high-risk individuals. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes and so are candidates for prevention programs. We review literature on type 2 diabetes risk in women with gestational diabetes, examine current recommendations for postpartum and long-term follow-up, and summarize findings from a 2007 expert-panel meeting. We found data to support that women with gestational diabetes have an increase in risk of type 2 diabetes comparable in magnitude with that of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose and that prevention interventions likely are effective in this population. Current recommendations from leading organizations on follow-up of women after delivery are conflicting and compliance is poor. Clinicians and public health workers face numerous challenges in developing intervention strategies for this population. Translation research will be critical in addressing this important public health issue.

Gestational diabetes mellitus: all Asians are not alike.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevalence estimates for subgroups of US Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women by using data from 2005 and 2006 birth certificates. METHODS: Using 2005-2006 natality files from states that implemented the revised 2003 US birth certificate, which differentiates between GDM and preexisting diabetes (2005: 12 states; 2006: 19 states), we calculated age-adjusted GDM prevalence estimates for API mothers who delivered singleton infants. RESULTS: Among 3,108,877 births, US APIs had a substantially higher age-adjusted prevalence of GDM (6.3%) than whites (3.8%), blacks (3.5%), or Hispanics (3.6%). Among API subgroups, age-adjusted GDM prevalence varied significantly, from 3.7% among women of Japanese descent to 8.6% among women of Asian Indian descent. Foreign-born APIs had significantly higher GDM rates than US-born APIs except among women of Japanese and Korean ancestry. CONCLUSION: Overall, US API women have the highest risk for GDM among all US racial/ethnic groups. However, APIs are a heterogeneous group by genetic background, culture, and diet and other lifestyle behaviors. Our findings imply that, whenever possible, API subgroups should be evaluated separately in health research.

Comparison of guidelines available in the United States for diagnosis and management of diabetes before, during, and after pregnancy.

Women with preexisting diabetes are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and birth defects. Women with gestational diabetes are at increased risk for adverse outcomes, including neonatal hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, macrosomia, increased risk of obesity and diabetes in the offspring later in life, and increased risk for other maternal comorbidities. Studies have shown that tight glycemic control before and during pregnancy can decrease the risk for adverse outcomes, congenital malformations, and maternal complications resulting from maternal preexisting diabetes. It is important to identify women with gestational diabetes and provide interconception care to minimize the risk of a future pregnancy complicated by type 2 diabetes. To reduce the risk of adverse consequences for both the woman and her baby, it is important to effectively manage diabetes before, during, and after pregnancy. Several professional organizations have developed guidelines in an effort to establish some consistency in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and to decrease the risk of adverse outcomes. The objectives of this paper are to (1) compare the guidelines for women with preexisting (types 1 and 2) and gestational diabetes available to healthcare providers in the United States, highlighting the similarities and differences among them, and (2) discuss how differences among the guidelines might affect efforts to address the challenges of controlling and preventing diabetes and resulting complications during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes mellitus and risk of childhood overweight and obesity in offspring: a systematic review.

We systematically reviewed research examining the association between gestational diabetes (GDM) and childhood overweight and obesity. We identified studies from three sources: (1) a PubMed search of articles published between January 1990-January 2011, (2) reference lists of publications from the PubMed search, and (3) reference lists of review articles. We included studies that examined GDM separately from pregestational diabetes and childhood overweight or obesity defined as BMI > 85th or 95th percentile. A total of 12 studies were included in the systematic review. Crude odds ratios for the relationship between GDM and childhood overweight or obesity ranged from 0.7 to 6.3; in 8 studies, the associations were not statistically significant. In only 3 studies were results adjusted for any confounders; in the 2 that adjusted for prepregnancy obesity, the GDM and childhood overweight or obesity associations were attenuated and not statistically significant after adjustment. This paper demonstrates inconsistent evidence of an association between GDM and offspring overweight and obesity due to the methodological limitations of existing studies. Recommendations for future research are presented, which address methodological challenges.