The findings stem from a follow-up study of 73 women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes between 1995 and 2001 and were reevaluated with oral glucose tolerance testing 4.38 years later, on average. Thirty-six of the women were South Asian and 37 were Caucasian.

On follow-up, 48.6% of South Asian women and 25.0% of Caucasian women had developed diabetes, lead author Dr. Matthew D. Oldfield, from Kingston Hospital in Surrey, UK, and colleagues note.

Risk factors for developing diabetes included older age at follow-up, and higher body mass index, more severe hyperglycemia, and insulin requirement during pregnancy.

An elevated HbA1c value during pregnancy increased the odds of future diabetes by 4.09- and 9.15-fold in South Asian and Caucasian women, respectively.

"Further examination of the value of HbA1c measurement in the gestational diabetes pregnancy should be undertaken as it has the potential to target screening away from those at minimal risk," the authors conclude.

Postgrad Med J 2007;83:426-430.

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