Repeated random blood glucose measurements as universal screening test for gestational diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND: To determine the value of repeated random blood glucose (R-B-glucose) measurements alone or in combination with traditional risk factors [family history of diabetes, obesity, prior large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infant or prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)] to predict the outcome of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). METHODS: A prospective population-based study was undertaken in a Swedish county. All pregnant nondiabetic women (n = 4918) visiting the maternal health care clinics over a 2-year period were offered a 75-g OGTT in gestational weeks 28-32. Traditional risk factors and values of repeated R-B-glucose measurements were registered, as well as the results of the OGTT, in terms of fasting B-glucose and 2-h B-glucose. RESULTS: A total of 3616 women (73.5%) had an OGTT. Of these, 1.7% had GDM, 1.3% impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 0.4% diabetes mellitus (DM). An R-B-glucose cut-off level > or =8.0 mmol/L as the only indicator for an OGTT was optimal for detecting GDM with regard to sensitivity (47.5%) and specificity (97.0%). It has the same sensitivity for detecting GDM as using traditional risk factors, but reduces the need to carry out the OGTT from 15.8% to 3.8% of the population. Combined with prior LGA infant or prior GDM as indications for the OGTT in the present study, all women with DM and 44.7% of those with IGT will be identified. Only 7.3% of the population will have to take the OGTT. CONCLUSION: A random B-glucose level > or = 8.0 mmol/L prior LGA infant or prior GDM as an indicator for taking the OGTT is a simple and effective first step in a two-step screening model for GDM.     

Gestational diabetes: fasting and postprandial glucose as first prenatal screening tests in a high-risk population

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of fasting (FPG) and 2-hour postprandial (PPG) plasma glucose as screening tests for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a high-risk population during early pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: At their first prenatal visit, 708 women underwent FPG and PPG for universal screening for GDM, with the diagnosis confirmed by the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (World Health Organization criteria). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to analyze the performance of the 2 screening tests. RESULTS: Of 184 (25.9%) women with GDM, 79 (42.9%) were identified before 18 weeks. The AUC for FPG to predict GDM was 0.579 (95% CI 0.531-0.627). Though a threshold of 85 mg/dL achieved minimally acceptable sensitivity, 79.9%, the corresponding specificity remained poor, 27.5%, with a false positive rate (FPR) of 72.5%. The AUC for PPG was 0.717 (95% CI 0.670-0.765); a cutoff of 95 mg/dL achieved a sensitivity of 79.9% and FPR of 53.1%. CONCLUSION: Though GDM could be diagnosed in > 40% women in early pregnancy at their first prenatal visit, the poor specificity and high FPR of FPG and PPG, alone or in combination, make them unsuitable screening tests for GDM.     

Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in southern Asian women

AIM: To compare fasting plasma glucose (FPG) against 2-h postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG), following a carbohydrate meal, for screening of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in southern Asian women with one or more risk factors. METHODS: A comparative study was conducted at a university obstetric unit in Sri Lanka. Two hundred and seventy one women undergoing oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) according to the WHO criteria of 1999 had a 2-h PPPG performed within the following week. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and correlation coefficients for predicting a diagnosis of GDM and areas under receiver-operator curves (ROC) were calculated for FPG and PPPG. The ability to predict GDM and to reduce the need for OGTT were the main outcome measures. RESULTS: The mean period of gestation was 26.43 weeks (SD = 5.4) Seventy-five (27.7%) women were diagnosed with GDM. The optimal threshold for FPG was 4.4 mmol/L and for PPPG 4.7 mmol/L. At these, sensitivity was 92.0% and 90.7%, specificity 48.7% and 25.4% and the areas under the ROC 0.82 and 0.73 for FPG and PPPG, respectively. Nine (12%) women could be diagnosed as having GDM on the basis of the FPG being above the threshold. CONCLUSIONS: FPG is superior to 2-h PPPG for screening high-risk women for GDM. Nine women were diagnosed as having GDM on the basis of having an FPG above 7 mmol/L. FPG could reduce the number of OGTT needed by 40.9%, compared to 20.6% by PPPG. FPG is a less cumbersome and cost-effective screening test.     

Oral glucose tolerance testing at gestational weeks < or =16 could predict or exclude subsequent gestational diabetes mellitus during the current pregnancy in high risk group

BACKGROUND: An oral glucose tolerance test with a result that is negative but close to the diagnostic cut-off in early pregnancy was hypothesized to serve as a predictor of subsequent gestational diabetes in a high risk group. The aim of the study was to determine those cut-off values of OGTT at gestational weeks < or =16, which can predict or exclude subsequent onset of GDM in a high risk group. METHODS: Pregnant women at high risk of gestational diabetes (n = 163) underwent a 2-h, 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at gestational weeks < or =16 were analyzed in this study. In the event of a negative result, subsequent oral glucose tolerance tests were performed at gestational weeks 24-28 and 32-34. The sensitivity, the specificity, the positive and negative predictive values and the Odds ratio of the best cut-off values of fasting and postload glucose levels were calculated. RESULTS: The best cut-off values to exclude subsequent GDM for fasting and postload glucose were 5.0 and 6.2 mmol/l, respectively. In combination, the best cut-off values were 5.3 mmol/l for fasting and 6.8 mmol/l for postload glucose, with negative predictive values of 0.97 and 0.71 and sensitivities of 96.9 and 86.3 at gestational weeks 24-28 and 32-34, respectively. Combination of these cut-off values with obesity proved to be very predictive for gestational diabetes by gestational weeks 32-34, with an Odds ratio of 6.0 [95% confidence interval: 1.7-21.0]. CONCLUSIONS: With regard to the very high negative predictive value of the method, pregnant women with glucose levels of < or =5.3 mmol/l at fasting and of < or = 6.8 mmol/l at postload in gestational weeks < or =16 should undergo subsequent oral glucose tolerance testing merely at gestational weeks 32-34. Approximately a quarter (24.5%) of the pregnant women at risk of gestational diabetes satisfied these criteria.     

对8 665例孕妇行妊娠期糖尿病筛查的临床研究

目的探讨50 g葡萄糖负荷试验 (GCT) 筛查妊娠期糖尿病( GDM) 的阈值、适宜孕周,孕妇年龄和体重因素对GDM发生的影响.方法采用回顾性研究的方法,对1995年1月至2001年3月在北京大学第一医院妇产科行GCT的8 665例孕妇的临床资料进行分析.结果 (1)8 665例孕妇 GCT 1 h平均血糖水平为(6.8±1.7) mmol/L,以7.8 mmol/L为切点,GCT异常率为25.2%,GDM漏诊率为5.3%(17/321);以7.2 mmol/L为切点,GCT异常率为36.5%,GDM漏诊率为2.8 %(9/321);以8.3 mmol/L为切点,GDM漏诊率为15.9%(51/321). (2)GCT 1 h血糖≥11.2 mmol/L者中,GDM发生率为55.8%(92/165),其中62.0%(57/92)根据空腹血糖水平可以做出诊断.(3)孕24周以后,不同孕周间GCT异常率无差异.(4)GCT异常率和GDM发生率不同年龄组比较,差异有极显著性(P<0.01),25岁以下无GDM高危因素的孕妇GDM发生率为0.3%,显著低于年龄≥25岁的孕妇.(5)孕26～28周时孕妇的平均体重指数(BMI)为(24.9±2.9) kg/m2(±s),当BMI≥27.8时,GCT异常率和GDM发生率均显著增高.结论 (1)GCT筛查GDM以7.8 mmol/L为切点是合理的; GCT 1 h血糖≥11.2 mmol/L 时,应先行空腹血糖检查确诊是否为GDM.(2)孕24周后尽早行GCT是恰当的,但对于有明显高危因素者应在孕24周前行GCT.(3)孕妇年龄和体重与GDM的发生密切相关,25岁以下无高危因素者可以不行GDM筛查.     

The usefulness of HbA1c in postpartum reclassification of gestational diabetes

To investigate the role of HbA1c in postpartum reclassification of gestational diabetes (GDM) we studied 364 women with GDM attending the postpartum reclassification assessment of their glucose tolerance status. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed and HbA1c was determined. Diabetes was diagnosed in 12 (3.3%), 7 (1.9%) and 2 (0.6%) women according to the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and/or the 2-hour OGTT, the FPG alone and HbA1c levels, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for HbA1c to diagnose diabetes was 16.7% and 100%, respectively, for FPG and OGTT criteria. The combination of a cutoff value of 5.5% for HbA1c and FPG allowed us to identify 95.1% of women with any kind of glucose intolerance. We conclude that in the early postpartum period, the cutoff of 6.5% for HbA1c alone has low sensitivity for the diagnosis of diabetes compared with OGTT, but the combination of FPG and HbA1c at a lower cutoff value is very useful to identify women with any kind of glucose intolerance.     

Diagnostic of gestational diabetes mellitus and the prevalence of LGA (Large for Gestational Age)

OBJECTIVES: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance, first time detected in pregnancy. Early diagnosis of the disease may reduce fetal exposure to maternal hyperglycemia and decrease the risk of LGA. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of time and diagnostic method of GDM on the prevalence of LGA and pregnancy outcome among patients with gestational diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted among 211 women with gestational diabetes mellitus, the patients of 1st Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical University in Warsaw. We have reviewed the results of fasting plasma glucose, 50-g glucose screening test (GCT) and 2 hour 75-g glucose tolerance test in GDM patients with LGA and eutrophic newborns. The t-student or the Mann-Whitney test was used in order to compare both groups. P<0.05 was deemed statistically significant. RESULTS: LGA was diagnosed in 10.4% of patients. We did not find any significant differences in gestational age when GDM was diagnosed, results of fasting glucose GCT and OGTT among LGA (M) and control (K) group. However, when we compared the percentage of LGA in groups of women with different time of GDM diagnosis, the highest prevalence was noted in the group of first trimester diagnosis and between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, which we found interesting. We compared the women and the results of the diagnostic tests with the group of standard time of GDM diagnosis (24-28 week of pregnancy) and the only difference was the late diagnosis. If 75-g glucose tolerance test had not included 1-hour after load glucose assignment, GDM would not have been diagnosed at all in 18.2% of female patients with LGA. We have not found any correlations between the results of the diagnostic tests, the time of the diagnosis or the mode of treatment GDM (diet alone or with insulin) and the birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Results of fasting glucose and glucose tolerance tests are not useful in the prediction of LGA in GDM pregnancies. 2. Diagnosis of GDM during the recommended period (between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy) may decrease the prevalence of LGA (comparing to later diagnostics). 3. 75-g glucose tolerance test should provide fasting, 1 and 2-hour after load glucose assignment.     

Occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus and the value of different screening indicators for the oral glucose tolerance test

BACKGROUND: The objective of the present study was to determine prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in terms of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes mellitus (DM), and the value of traditional anamnestic risk factors for predicting outcome of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). METHODS: A prospective population-based study in a defined geographic area in Sweden. All pregnant nondiabetic women (n = 4918) attending maternal health care from July 1994 to June 1996 were offered a 75g OGTT in gestational weeks 28-32. Traditional anamnestic risk factors, as well as results of the OGTT in terms of fasting-B-glucose and 2h-B-glucose, were registered. RESULTS: 3616 (73.5%) women agreed to perform the OGTT. Sixty-one (1.7%) of those had GDM [47 (1.3%) had impaired glucose tolerance and 14 (0.4%) had diabetes mellitus]. 15.8% fulfilled traditional risk factor criteria. Traditional anamnestic risk factors as an indicator to perform an OGTT identified 29/61 GDM women and 9/14 women with DM. Among primiparas, 4/21 with gestational diabetes mellitus were detected. CONCLUSION: Using traditional risk factors as an indicator to perform an OGTT gives a low sensitivity to detect GDM and even DM especially among primiparas.     

Pregnancy outcome among women universally screened for gestational diabetes mellitus with a lime-flavoured drink

We performed a prospective study involving 400 consecutive pregnant patients to determine whether the administration of a lime-flavoured glucose drink followed by a blood test 1 h later was a better method of screening for gestational diabetes (GDM) than the use of selective screening based on risk factors (maternal age over 30 years, East Indian ancestry and obesity). Complete data were available for 388 women, 76 were screen positive (1 h blood glucose ≥ 140 mg/dl) and GDM was diagnosed in 42 (using a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test) giving a positive predictive value of 55%. Selective screening applied to the same population would have identified only 34 cases, eight fewer with GDM. In this population, the use of the lime-flavoured glucose drink detected approximately 25% more cases of GDM than selective screening based on risk factors. Caesarean sections were performed in 18 (42.8%) of women with gestational diabetes. None of the four perinatal deaths was observed among the women with gestational diabetes.     

Glucose screening in Mexican-American women

OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe the predictive value for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using different glucose challenge test thresholds in Mexican-American women. METHODS: A prospective population-based study of 6,857 gravid women, who were tested with a 50-g glucose challenge test at 24-28 weeks of gestation, was performed. A screening value of 130 mg/dL or greater was followed by a 3-hour, 100-g oral glucose tolerance test. Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed by 2 or more abnormal values using the Carpenter and Coustan criteria. For purpose of analysis, GDM diagnosis was categorized with glucose challenge test values in 10-mg/dL increments. A comparison between Carpenter-Coustan and the National Diabetic Data Group criteria for GDM diagnosis was performed for each glucose challenge test threshold category. Sensitivity and specificity for GDM diagnosis were further calculated for different glucose challenge test thresholds (130, 135, and 140 mg/dL). RESULTS: Overall, GDM was diagnosed in 469 of 6,857 (6.8%) women, and one abnormal oral glucose tolerance test value was tested in 351 of 6,857 women (5.1%). Normal glucose challenge test results (threshold less than 130 mg/dL) were obtained in 4,316 of 6,857 women. An elevated glucose challenge test value increases the risk of GDM, but even in high glucose challenge test thresholds (more than 180 mg/dL), the predictive value for GDM was only 50%. The sensitivity and specificity for GDM diagnosis using 3 different glucose challenge test thresholds were as follows: threshold 130 mg/dL or more: 97% and 63%; threshold 135 mg/dL or more: 91% and 73%; and threshold 140 mg/dL or more: 85% and 78%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Data suggests that an elevated glucose challenge test level cannot be used as a single diagnostic tool for GDM even in high test thresholds. A threshold of 130 mg/dL may be recommended as a screening threshold for GDM in Mexican-American women. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3     

Can adiponectin predict gestational diabetes?

The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether adiponectin is a predictive factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and is appropriate as a screening test for GDM. Three-hundred and fifty-nine women with singleton pregnancy and indications for GDM screening according to criteria of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists were enrolled in the study between July 5, 2004 and March 11, 2005. After confirming gestational age (GA) and number of fetuses by ultrasound, all women underwent a 1-h glucose challenge test with 50 g glucose load (50-g GCT) between 21 and 27 weeks of GA. Blood samples for determination of adiponectin levels were also obtained on the same day. Subsequently, between 24 and 28 weeks of GA, the women underwent an oral glucose tolerance test with 100 g glucose load (100-g OGTT). The diagnosis of GDM was established when two or more of the following criteria were fulfilled: (1) fasting glucose >95 mg/dl; (2) 1-h glucose >180 mg/dl; (3) 2-h glucose >155 mg/dl; (4) 3-h glucose >140 mg/dl. Sixty women were diagnosed with GDM, a prevalence of 16.7%. There was no difference in age between the GDM and non-GDM groups. Pre-pregnancy and sampling-day body mass index (BMI), increase in weight and all blood glucose levels were greater in women with GDM than in those without (p < 0.05). Adiponectin concentrations were significantly negatively correlated with GA and plasma glucose levels of the GCT and each OGTT. Using logistic regression analyses, adiponectin, but not age, pre-pregnancy BMI and increase in weight, was demonstrated as an independent predictive factor for GDM. The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve of adiponectin was significantly lower than that of the GCT [0.63 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.67) vs. 0.73 (95% CI 0.71-0.80), p < 0.001]. At a cut-off value of 140 mg/dl of the 50-g GCT, the sensitivity and specificity of the test were 90% and 61%, respectively. The 50-g GCT could identify GDM in 54 (90%) out of 60 women. On the other hand, at an arbitrary cut-off value of 10 microg/ml for adiponectin, sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 31% were achieved. If this cut-off value was used for ruling in or out pregnant women for the GDM screening, 27% of all women could be eliminated from needing to perform an OGTT, with five women (8.3%) misclassified. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that adiponectin was an independent predictor for GDM. As for GDM screening, adiponectin was not as strong a predictor as GCT. However, with advantage of being less cumbersome, adiponectin could be used to rule out pregnant women at low risk of GDM.     

Isolated polyhydramnios in the third trimester: is a gestational diabetes evaluation of value?*

We evaluated implications of testing for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnancies complicated by third trimester isolated polyhydramnios with previous negative diabetes screening test. In this retrospective cohort study of 104 pregnant women with polyhydramnios between 2005 and 2013, all had normal first trimester fasting glucose and normal glucose challenge test (GCT?p?=?0.38) or fasting glucose values (82 vs. 86?mg/dL, p?=?0.29) between women in the polyhydramnios group with and without late GDM diagnosis. Moreover, no significant difference was found in relation to the mode of delivery or birth weight between the studied groups (3437?±?611 vs. 3331?±?515?g, p?=?0.63). Diagnosis of third trimester polyhydramnios was not associated with increased risk for GDM or neonatal complications.     

Use of oral glucose tolerance test in early pregnancy to predict late-onset gestational diabetes mellitus in high-risk women

AIM: To evaluate if any single plasma glucose level from the four values of the normal 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in early pregnancy (< or =20 weeks of gestation) could predict gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosed from a second OGTT in late pregnancy (28-32 weeks). METHODS: Glucose levels of pregnant women at high-risk for GDM, who had had a normal early OGTT, and who underwent the second test in late pregnancy, were studied. Each of the four plasma glucose values of the early OGTT was determined for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). The receiver operating characteristic curves of these four OGTT values were then constructed to find the optimal value to predict late-onset GDM. RESULTS: Of 193 pregnant women who had had a normal early OGTT, 154 also had a normal OGTT in late pregnancy while 39 had an abnormal test and were diagnosed with GDM. Among the four glucose values of the early OGTT, the 1-h value yielded the best diagnostic performance to predict late-onset GDM. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and area under the curve achieved from its optimal cutoff level of > or =155 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L) were 89.7%, 64.3%, 38.9%, 96.1%, and 0.77, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A 1-h glucose value > or =155 mg/dL at the early OGTT yielded the best diagnostic performance. However, the low specificity and PPV rendered it suboptimal to predict late-onset GDM. Nevertheless, a considerable number of high-risk women could avoid the second OGTT in late pregnancy due to its high sensitivity and NPV.     

Postpartum diabetes screening in women with a history of gestational diabetes

OBJECTIVE: Women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus, DM). The American Diabetes Association recommends regular postpartum diabetes screening for women with a history of GDM, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is not as directive. We sought to examine postpartum glycemic testing in women diagnosed with GDM. METHODS: We conducted an observational cohort study of women diagnosed with GDM at one of two large academic medical centers between 2000 and 2001. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the time from delivery to the first postpartum DM screening tests were determined, and predictors of postpartum DM screening were examined using Cox proportional hazards testing. RESULTS: Only 37% of eligible women underwent the postpartum diabetes screening tests recommended by the American Diabetes Association (fasting glucose or oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]), with a median time from delivery to the first such testing of 428 days. By comparison, 94% of women underwent postpartum cervical cancer screening using a Papanicolaou (Pap) test, with a median time from delivery to Pap testing of 49 days. Even when random glucose testing was included in a broad definition of postpartum DM screening (random or fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, or OGTT), only two thirds of women (67%) received a postpartum glycemic assessment. CONCLUSION: In the population studied, only 37% of women with a history of GDM were screened for postpartum DM according to guidelines published by the American Diabetes Association. Efforts to improve postpartum DM screening in this high-risk group are warranted.     

Fasting plasma glucose test at the first prenatal visit as a screen for gestational diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the fasting plasma glucose test administered at the first prenatal visit could serve as an efficient screen for gestational diabetes. METHODS: A total of 5557 women not known to have diabetes were offered a fasting plasma glucose test at their first prenatal visit. Results less than 100 mg/dL were blinded. A glucose tolerance test was requested immediately of those whose screening test result was 100-125 mg/dL and of all women not identified as having diabetes by their 23rd gestational week. RESULTS: A total of 4507 women (81%) complied with the protocol. Of the 302 women found to have gestational diabetes, 46 (15%) were detected before 24 weeks. A false-positive rate of 57% was found at a threshold fasting glucose concentration giving a sensitivity of 80% for the detection of gestational diabetes.CONCLUSION: The fasting plasma glucose screening test at the first prenatal visit has good patient compliance. However, its poor specificity (high false-positive rate) makes it an inefficient screening test for gestational diabetes.     

Risk factor screening for abnormal glucose tolerance in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence and association of frequently used screening risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to compare the validity and cost of universal screening with risk factor screening. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of 768 pregnant women at > or = 24 weeks' gestation who were attending the antenatal clinic at the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) was made. Risk factors were determined using a questionnaire. An abnormal oral glucose tolerance test was defined as a 2-h post-prandial blood sugar level of > or = 7.8 mmol/l. RESULTS: A total of 191 pregnant mothers (24.9%) had GDM. The most commonly identified screening factors were positive family history of diabetes mellitus (31.4%), history of spontaneous abortion (17.8%), vaginal discharge and pruritis vulvae in current pregnancy (16.0%), and maternal age greater than 35 years (14.7%). Five hundred and thirteen mothers (66.8%) had at least one risk factor. All screening risk factors, except past history of diabetes mellitus in previous pregnancy and maternal age, were not significantly associated with abnormal glucose tolerance (GT). Risk factor screening gave a sensitivity of 72.2% and a specificity of 35.0%. Universal screening would cost RM 12.06 while traditional risk factor screening would cost RM 11.15 per identified case and will have missed 53 of the 191 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factor screening scored poorly in predicting GDM. Cost analysis of universal compared with traditional risk factor screening showed a negligible difference. Thus universal screening appears to be the most reliable method of diagnosing GDM.     

Postnatal testing for diabetes in Australian women following gestational diabetes mellitus

Background:  Postnatal blood glucose testing is recommended for reclassification of glucose tolerance following a pregnancy affected by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); however, there are limited data on the postnatal follow-up sought by Australian women.
Aims:  To describe postnatal diabetes testing patterns in Australian women following a pregnancy affected by GDM and identify factors associated with return for follow-up testing in accordance with the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) guidelines.
Methods:  A cross-sectional self-administered survey of 1372 women diagnosed with GDM between 2003 and 2005, sampled from the National Diabetes Services Scheme database.
Results:  Postnatal diabetes testing was reported by 73.2% of survey respondents with 27.4% returning for an oral glucose test tolerance at six to eight weeks post-GDM pregnancy. Using logistic regression analysis, factors associated with appropriate postnatal testing were receiving individualised risk reduction advice (odds ratio (OR) 1.41 (1.08,1.84)) or written information (OR 1.35 (1.03,1.76)) and in two-way interactions, being under the care of an endocrinologist and not tertiary educated (OR 2.09 (1.49,2.93)) as well as seeing an obstetrician and diabetes educator during pregnancy (OR 1.72 (1.19,2.48)). Every five years increase in age reduced the likelihood of a woman returning for testing by 17%.
Conclusions:  Specialist diabetes care in non-tertiary educated women, or a team approach to management with diabetes education and obstetric care may act to reinforce the need for postnatal diabetes testing in accordance with the ADIPS guidelines. Individualised follow up from a health professional and provision of written information following a GDM pregnancy may also encourage return for postnatal testing in this high-risk group.     

The effects of hyaluronic acid vaginal gel on the vaginal epithelium of ovariectomized rats

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women at oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and the diagnosis of GDM and to explore whether this activity is associated with metabolic parameters. Method: This prospective control study included 37 women with GDM and 42 women with normal glucose tolerance in pregnancy (control group). In the study group (GDM), blood was taken for analyzing 100?g OGTT from women who have abnormal 50?g glucose challenge test (GCT). Results: Compared with the controls, the GDM group had significantly higher mean values for serum fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride and GGT. Within the GDM group, GGT levels were only negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (r?=??0.41, p?=?0.01). GGT was determined to be an independent metabolic parameter for GDM. While performing analyses receiver operational curve analysis, GGT cutoff set was set at 16 IU/L, the sensitivity was calculated as 86%, and specificity was as 37%. Conclusion: The increase at GGT level is an independent risk factor for GDM and identified as high-risk women for diagnosis of GDM.     

Gestational diabetes in a high-risk population: using the fasting plasma glucose to simplify the diagnostic algorithm

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in screening a high-risk population for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). STUDY DESIGN: During an 8-month period, 1685 pregnant women underwent the one-step 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as a part of a universal screening program. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the performance of the FPG. RESULTS: 333 (19.8%) women had GDM (WHO criteria). The area under the ROC curve of FPG to detect GDM was 0.639 (95% CI 0.603-0.674), which reflected the degree of the FPG histogram overlap in women with and without GDM. A FPG threshold of 4.7 mmol/l reached the minimally acceptable sensitivity of 78.1% with a corresponding unacceptable specificity of 32.2%. 508 (31%) women were below this threshold, at a negative predictive value of 85.6%. The FPG at higher thresholds with acceptable specificity had poor sensitivity and positive predictive value to be useful. CONCLUSION: Though the high false positive rate at any FPG threshold with adequate sensitivity makes the FPG an inappropriate test for GDM screening, the FPG has the potential to avoid nearly one-third of the cumbersome OGTTs at the expense of missing one-fifth of pregnant women with milder GDM.     

妊娠期糖尿病空腹血糖筛查的意义及其对妊娠结局的影响

妊娠期糖尿病(gestational diabetes mellitus,GDM)的发生率逐年上升,不良妊娠结局与血糖水平相关,即使妊娠妇女的血糖水平在正常范围,随着血糖水平的升高,大于胎龄儿、剖宫产率、新生儿低血糖、新生儿高胰岛素血症及生后糖尿病的发生等母儿不良预后的发生率增加,尽早诊断及治疗GDM有助于改善不良妊娠结局。利用空腹血糖(fasting plasma glucose,FPG)筛查GDM越来越受关注。其具有操作简单,价格低廉,可重复率高并且容易被妊娠妇女接受等优点。近年来许多研究证实,妊娠早期FPG与葡萄糖负荷试验(glucose challenge test,GCT)及口服葡萄糖耐量试验(oral glucose tolerance test,OGTT)的血糖水平呈正相关,且显著降低了需要行OGTT检查的人数。故FPG筛查对GDM有较高的价值。