Women who had gestational diabetes mellitus and gained weight after pregnancy were significantly more likely to progress to type 2 diabetes, according to a study.
Among the 1,695 women in the Diabetes & Women’s Health study with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), researchers documented 259 incident cases of type 2 diabetes during up to 18 years of follow-up. Each 1 kg/m2 increase in baseline body mass index was associated with a 16% higher risk of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio, 1.16).
Each 5 kg of weight gain after the development of GDM was associated with a 27% higher risk of type 2 diabetes (HR, 1.27).
“Our findings provide evidence to support the recent call from the [National Diabetes Education Program] and highlight the importance of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight in these high-risk women to prevent future development of type 2 diabetes,” the researchers wrote.
The study was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Read the full study in Diabetologia (doi: 10.1007/s00125-015-3537-4).