Wednesday 1 February 2023 3:22pm
A recent study has revealed that nearly 40% of women with gestational diabetes are not being screened for type 2 diabetes in the 12 months following birth.
Women who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy could be up to 7 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women who do not develop gestational diabetes. Early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can prevent or slow down the negative health effects of this disease. Yet the low rates of testing are likely resulting in delayed diagnosis or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes for many women in Aotearoa New Zealand.
EDOR researcher Associate Professor Kirsten Coppell contributed as co-author on the study, which looked at New Zealand data over a ten year period. The results showed that there were next to no improvements in the proportion of women being tested over this time.
Data were collected between 2005 -2015 and found that over 14,000 women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes (for the first time) within this time frame. Of these women, only 41% were screened for type 2 diabetes at 3 months, 53% by 6 months and 61% by 12 months postpartum.
Inequities in postpartum screening for type 2 diabetes
The researchers also revealed that the number of women accessing diabetes screening postpartum was substantially different depending on their ethnicity and also where the mother lived.
Only 35% of Māori women with gestational diabetes were screened in the first 6 months after having their baby, and screening rates were as low as 19% of women in the Bay of Plenty region. Other regions showed much better access to screening, with 65% of women screened in the Kāpati Coast region.
The authors concluded that the New Zealand health care system needs to do more to ensure that all women with gestational diabetes have access to type 2 diabetes testing, regardless of their age, ethnicity, income or location.
Read the journal article
Are women with gestational diabetes being screened for type 2 diabetes following pregnancy? A nationwide retrospective cohort study in Aotearoa New Zealand. Andrew Sise, Sarah Donald, Kirsten J Coppell, David Barson, Sue Crengle, Lianne Parkin. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.
What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when a women has high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia) during pregnancy.
Women need substantially more insulin to store away the glucose (sugar) in their blood when they are pregnant, however those living with gestational diabetes cannot produce enough insulin to meet these demands.
This form of diabetes can be managed through diet and exercise, however some may need to inject insulin while they are pregnant. It is important that gestational diabetes is well managed to avoid complications during pregnancy and birth, as well as to protect the baby from health issues.
Gestational diabetes usually disappears after the mother has given birth, however around 50-60% of women will then go on to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes one of the most common chronic health conditions in Aotearoa NZ and is diagnosed when a person has high blood glucose levels due to the reduced ability of insulin to clear glucose (sugar) from the blood.
When this condition is undiagnosed or poorly managed, the glucose in the blood can cause damage to the body, and can lead to limb amputations, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke and blindness.
Fortunately, type 2 diabetes can be managed through diet and exercise in combination with medication. In some cases where the condition has progressed, people with type 2 diabetes will need to inject insulin to manage their glucose levels.
Due to the low rates of diabetes screening in NZ, many women who have had gestational diabetes are likely living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, and are therefore not receiving the treatment they need to slow down the progression of this condition.