Study on long-term prognosis of women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus in Tsugaru district, Aomori prefecture GDM postpartum in Aomori prefecture study (GDM-PPAP STUDY)

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the health status of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Tsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, and provide information for establishing a long-term follow-up system for women with a history of GDM.
Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to women diagnosed with GDM who gave birth between 2006 and 2015 at four general hospitals in Tsugaru District. Subjects were grouped according to progression or non-progression of GDM to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and clinical characteristics between both groups during pregnancy were compared. A health survey was performed in women with GDM.
Results: There were a total of 10,681 deliveries, and 516 women were diagnosed with GDM. Out of those, 452 women were eligible for the study. The questionnaires were mailed to them, and 227 women returned the questionnaire. The number of women with progression of GDM to DM was 14, but only 5 out of those returned the questionnaires. Although the current age of women who developed DM was under 40 years old, women with a history of GDM who had not had health checkups were significantly younger than those who had had health checkups, with a larger proportion being younger than 40 years.
Conclusions: Women with a history of GDM of less than 40 years old in Aomori Prefecture had less opportunity of their health checkups. Therefore, it is preferable to provide medical checkup recommendation system for the women with a history of GDM even if the current age is under 40 years old.