Occurrence of impaired carbohydrate tolerance in a group of women with past gestational diabetes mellitus

Background: Previous gestational diabetes is an acknowledged risk factor of diabetes development. During pregnancy, insulin immunity develops following the pathomechanism of co-occurrence of a specific genetic and hormone constellation and metabolic adaptation of the mother’s body for the needs of the developing organism, which is the most probable cause of gestational diabetes manifestation. In Poland, the frequency of GDM is estimated to be 4–6% [25, 28]. After childbirth one should expect regression and normalization of insulin resistance. Some women with past gestational diabetes develop impaired carbohydrate tolerance in different periods after childbirth.
Aim: The aim of the work was to assess the percentage of women andtime after childbirth when diabetes and impaired carbohydrate tolerance appear in a group of women with past gestational diabetes.
Material and methods: A group of 232 women with past gestational diabetes was examined. The control group comprised 147 women who had never had impaired glucose tolerance, and without diabetes and obesity in their families.
Results: Amongst the patients with gestational diabetes 22 (9.48%) women were reported to develop diabetes, 7 women (3.01%) reported having impaired glucose tolerance, and 71 women (30.60%) appeared to have impaired fasting glycaemia. The highest rate, i.e. 38.00% of women with impaired glucose tolerance with various levels of intensity (diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance), were the women in the first year after childbirth. 35% of women demonstrated impaired glucose tolerance in the period from one year to four years after childbirth. In the fifth year after childbirth only 28% of women had impaired glucose tolerance, whereas the most cases (54.54%) of overt diabetes developed in the fifth year after childbirth.