Gestational diabetes risk for diabetes type2

Gestational diabetes promotes later disease of type 2 diabetes

06/27/2013

Women who develop transient gestational diabetes during pregnancy have a significantly increased risk of permanent type 2 diabetes within 8 years of delivery - a long-term South Korean study has come to this conclusion „Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism“ has been published.

More than a tenth already after two months increased blood sugar levels
Thus, the long-term study for which a total of 843 women were regularly screened for gestational diabetes revealed that „Two months after delivery, 105 (12.5%) subjects had increased blood sugar levels („Early Converter“) and of the 370 remaining women who had been examined for more than 1 year, 88 subjects (23.8%) had recurrent type 2 diabetes („Late-Converter“)“, said the South Korean researchers in their article in the „Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism“.

Frequency of certain gene variants crucial
It would have been shown to the scientists that the so-called „Early Converter“ more likely to have a specific gene variant (HHEX) that increases susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, whereas women who develop type 2 diabetes later ("Late Converter“), another gene variant (CDKAL1) was relatively common - according to Professor med. Andreas Fritsche, press spokesman for the German Diabetes Society (DDG) from Tübingen, Germany, „which point to a hereditary predisposition for type 2 diabetes, "said a recent press release of the DDG.

Long-term study examines pregnant women in Tübingen, Munich and Dusseldorf
The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) in Tübingen, Munich and Düsseldorf is also currently working on the topic „gestational diabetes“ - here are in the context of „German gestational diabetes study“ (PREG) pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes over a total of ten years and early diabetes precursors detected and may also be offered preventive measures, the information on the website of the DZD.

Four percent of all pregnant women fall ill with gestational diabetes
The background: According to the German Diabetes Society, four percent of all pregnant women have gestational diabetes, with every second affected person developing type 2 diabetes over a period of ten years after delivery, despite initially normalized blood sugar levels after birth. Accordingly, the current gestational diabetes study could provide important new insights: „We hope that this study will enable us to better assess the risk of illness in the future and to be able to offer individualized preventive measures“, so Professor med. Andreas Fritsche.

Type 2 diabetes disease after gestational diabetes „no inevitable fate“
But despite the increased risk of type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes is a disease according to the German Diabetes Society „no inevitable fate“ - because women with gestational diabetes who breastfeed after birth, „have a 40 percent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long term“, moreover, US studies have shown, „that diet change and weight reduction can halve the risk of type 2 diabetes“, so the message of the DDG on.

Breastfeed for at least three months
But breastfeeding is all about duration - as early as 2012, scientists from the Institute for Diabetes Research had found out that „only those who breast-fed for more than three months have a 15-year risk of 42 percent for type 2 diabetes“ would have. Even more could the subjects reduce their risk of disease if they fed their baby during this period exclusively with breast milk (15-year risk of 34.8 percent)“ so the DZD.

Important: Check the glucose metabolism regularly after delivery
In addition to breastfeeding and a healthy diet or weight reduction, the DDG recommends that the glucose metabolism after childbirth be regularly monitored - even if the values ​​have initially returned to normal: „We recommend a first blood glucose measurement six to twelve weeks after birth, "said DDG President Erhard Siegel - if no abnormalities show up, the control should be repeated every two to three years on the recommendation of Siegel. (Nr)

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