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Review
. 2017 Dec 15;8(12):489-511.
doi: 10.4239/wjd.v8.i12.489.

Gestational diabetes from A to Z

AbdelHameed Mirghani Dirar  1 , John Doupis  2
Affiliations
Review

Gestational diabetes from A to Z

AbdelHameed Mirghani Dirar et al. World J Diabetes. .

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as any degree of hyperglycaemia that is recognized for the first time during pregnancy. This definition includes cases of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) identified early in pregnancy and true GDM which develops later. GDM constitutes a greater impact on diabetes epidemic as it carries a major risk of developing T2DM to the mother and foetus later in life. In addition, GDM has also been linked with cardiometabolic risk factors such as lipid abnormalities, hypertensive disorders and hyperinsulinemia. These might result in later development of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The understanding of the different risk factors, the pathophysiological mechanisms and the genetic factors of GDM, will help us to identify the women at risk, to develop effective preventive measures and to provide adequate management of the disease. Clinical trials have shown that T2DM can be prevented in women with prior GDM, by intensive lifestyle modification and by using pioglitazone and metformin. However, a matter of controversy surrounding both screening and management of GDM continues to emerge, despite several recent well-designed clinical trials tackling these issues. The aim of this manuscript is to critically review GDM in a detailed and comprehensive manner, in order to provide a scientific analysis and updated write-up of different related aspects.

Keywords: Diabetes in pregnancy; Diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus; Genetics of gestational diabetes mellitus; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Gestational diabetes mellitus-related comorbidities; Lipids abnormalities in gestational diabetes mellitus; Management of gestational diabetes mellitus; Medical nutrition therapy; Pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus; Risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest for this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of diabetes in pregnancy[4,7,11]. GDM: Gestational diabetes mellitus; PED: Pre-existing diabetes; T1DM: Type 1 diabetes mellitus; T2DM: Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Ethnic variations in the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus[45].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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