Self-Reported Past Gestational Diabetes Mellitus as a Risk Factor for Abnormal Glucose Tolerance Among Australian Women
- David Simmons, FRACP12,
- Simon Eaton, MRCP3,
- Jonathan Shaw, FRACP4 and
- Paul Zimmet, FRACP4
- 1School of Rural Health, University of Melbourne, Shepparton, Australia
- 2Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, U.K
- 3Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust, North Shields, U.K
- 4International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Professor David Simmons, Dept. of Diabetes, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Box 49, Cambridge University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, U.K. CB2 2QQ. E-mail: dsworkster{at}gmail.com
- AGT, abnormal glucose tolerance
- GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus
- IFG, impaired fasting glucose
- IGT impaired glucose tolerance
At least 50% of women who have a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) progress to permanent type 2 diabetes (1). While few long-term studies have been undertaken (2), progression from GDM to abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT) may not occur in all women. We hypothesized that if AGT occurs, then progression to diabetes would be more likely and that a greater excess of diabetes rather than impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)/impaired fasting glucose (IFG) would occur over time. We used two cohorts of Australian women who participated in either AusDiab (Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study) (3,4) or CUDS (Crossroads Undiagnosed Disease Study) (5) to investigate the relationship between current glucose tolerance status and self-reported history of diagnosis of GDM.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
AusDiab (May 1999 though December 2000) involved 42 randomly selected areas across Australia, and CUDS (June 2001 through March 2003) randomly selected households across six small towns and a regional center in rural Victoria, Australia (3–5). Both studies included residents aged ≥25 years within a household who responded to an initial census and used identical questionnaires and laboratories (and much of the same staff) for sample analysis. Attendance rates for women were 58% (n = 6,198) and …
