PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS: LITERATURE REVIEW

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious pregnancy complication with a global prevalence of approximately 14% and continues to rise with the rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes.Gestational diabetes mellitus is defined as hyperglycemia first detected during pregnancy.This literature review aims to analyze the pathophysiology of GDM based on the latest evidence from Scopus-indexed international journals published between 2020 and 2025.A systematic literature search was conducted in the Scopus database for articles published between 2020 and 2025 using the keywords "gestational diabetes mellitus," "pathophysiology," "insulin resistance," and "pancreatic -cell dysfunction."The pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus involves a complex interaction between insulin resistance, pancreatic -cell dysfunction, changes in incretin hormones, systemic inflammation, and genetic factors.Key mechanisms include the inability of pancreatic -cells to compensate for the increased insulin resistance during pregnancy.A thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus is crucial for developing more effective prevention and management strategies.