Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) reflects a marked intolerance to glucose consumption during pregnancy. There is no universal definition, although a biological consensus is based upon the results of a glucose tolerance test performed at mid-gestation. This has revealed a sustained increase in the prevalence of GDM worldwide, particularly marked in middle income countries both within and outside Europe affecting 8 to 30% of all pregnant women depending on the country.
The epidemic prevalence of gestational diabetes is both alarming and consequential, as adverse effects can be NCDs on both the mother and the offspring. There is a lack of overall knowledge with only a few identified risk factors and a too late diagnosis for an optimal management of GDM and its consequences. A previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes (GDM) carries a lifetime risk of progression to type 2 diabetes of up to 60%. Identification of those women at higher risk of progression to diabetes allows the timely introduction of measures to delay or prevent diabetes onset and is an easily identifiable high-risk group.
But it does not stop at the mother: very little is known about the impact that gestational diabetes has on the offspring, and the epidemiology is not minimal: 1 in 6 live births are impacted by gestational diabetes. The literature points to an increased risk of obesity in childhood and cardiovascular disease traits in adulthood - GDM therefore durably impacting the health of the future citizens paving their way into metabolic syndromes.
Early Detection and management of GDM allows early-stage interventions, providing opportunities for clinicians, citizens, and policy makers, to durably impact and decrease NCDs.