Medicine Gestational diabetes: long-term health risks for women
Women who suffer from diabetes during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing adult-onset diabetes later in life. A study from Switzerland sheds light on the lasting effects on glucose regulation.
12.11.2024, 13:19
SDA
A team of researchers from the Lake Geneva region has found that women who develop diabetes during pregnancy face significant long-term health risks. These women show persistent problems in regulating their blood sugar, which can increase the risk of developing adult-onset diabetes tenfold.
Tinh Hai Collet, assistant professor at the Faculty Center for Diabetes at the University of Geneva, emphasizes that the risk of cardiometabolic diseases also increases. The researchers from Geneva worked together with the University Hospitals of Lausanne and Geneva and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. They used wearable devices to monitor the dynamics of blood sugar, physical activity and heart rate of the participants.
Long-term effects on health
In the study, 22 women with gestational diabetes were compared with 15 women who had normal glucose metabolism during pregnancy. The results, published in the journal "Diabetologia", show that the affected women continue to have disturbances in blood glucose regulation even after giving birth, although their clinical data are often within the normal range.
The study showed that women with gestational diabetes tend to have a higher body weight. In addition, their blood sugar levels normalize more slowly after meals, even if they consume fewer carbohydrates.
Disruption of the circadian rhythm
Another finding of the study is that the daily blood sugar rhythm of these women is disturbed, indicating an impairment of their internal clocks or circadian rhythms. The researchers suggest monitoring blood glucose variability in the postpartum period to identify women at increased risk early. Worldwide, around 14 percent of pregnant women are affected by gestational diabetes; in Switzerland, the proportion is 10 percent.
