Gestational diabetes test points towards adult-onset diabetes

Fri, 09 Jul 2010
Women who fail a test for gestational diabetes are at risk of type 2 adult-onset diabetes, a new study has found. The research, by scientists at Tel Aviv University, has been investigating the link between gestational diabetes, a temporary condition that potentially harms both mother and child if not treated, and the chance of developing adult onset diabetes later in life.

The study has shown that women who do not pass the glucose challenge test, which is comprised of four blood tests conducted over a single four-hour period, are more prone to this type of the metabolic condition. It revealed that almost half the women who fail all four of the four-part tests and exhibit a higher level of blood sugar developed type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

In the first-ever study on the long-term health of those who failed the glucose challenge test, which was published in the journal Diabetic Medicine, data on more than 185,000 women in Israel who took the glucose challenge test was collected, followed by an examination of the health registry regarding what percentage of these women went on to contract diabetes later in life.

It is recommended that women who fail all four of the tests should be provided with counselling and intervention to prevent the onset of the disease, which can lead to adverse effects such as heart disease, blindness and liver cancer .

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