Gestational diabetes 'predicted 7 years before pregnancy'
Thursday 26th May 2011
A women's risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy could be detected up to seven years before conception through a blood sugar and body weight test, a study has indicated.
The risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was found to increase directly with the number of risk factors typically associated with diabetes and heart disease, including high blood sugar, hypertension and being overweight.
According to the study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, adverse levels of blood sugar and body weight were linked with a 4.6-fold increased risk of developing GDM when compared to women with normal levels.
Lead author Monique Hedderson said: "Our study indicates that a woman's cardio-metabolic risk profile for factors routinely assessed at medical visits such as blood sugar, high blood pressure, cholesterol and body weight can help clinicians identify high-risk women to target for primary prevention or early management of GDM."
This follows research in the Journal of Physiology which found that pregnant women who indulge in a high fat diet during pregnancy could increase their child's diabetes risk in the future.
Written by Mathew Horton
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