Gestational diabetes (GDM) impacts approximately 17 million pregnancies worldwide.
Women with a history of GDM have an 8–10-
fold
higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes
and a 2-fold
higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with
women without prior GDM. Although it is possible to prevent and/or delay progression
of GDM to type 2 diabetes, this is not widely undertaken. Considering the increasing
global rates of type 2 diabetes and CVD in women, it is essential to utilize pregnancy as
an opportunity to identify women at risk and initiate preventive intervention. This article
reviews existing clinical guidelines for postpartum identification and management
of women with previous GDM and identifies key recommendations for the prevention
and/or delayed progression to type 2 diabetes for global clinical practice.
