Retrospective Determination of Hospital Gestational Diabetes Prevalence and the Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes

Purpose: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is the disorder of glucose regulation of pregnant women. Its frequency is increas-ing in the world and in our country. Women with GDM are also at risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2 DM). The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the prevalence of GDM and the risk of developing Type 2 DM after delivery in preg-nant women attended routine pregnancy follow-ups in the Internal Medicine and Obstetrics Clinic of Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital between December 2012 and November 2017. Materials and Methods: Data of 32.857 pregnant women were examined from December 2012 to November 2017. 1.108 women with positive GDM results were identified with glucose tolerance tests. Complete medical records of 300 pregnant women were documented for their demographic characteristics. Furthermore, the 5-year postpartum period of these patients was analyzed to identify those who developed Type 2 DM. Results: Hospital data showed a GDM prevalence of 3.37% and an average maternal age of 32.49 years (18-48). Notably, 21% (63 patients) of the GDM group developed Type 2 DM, diagnosed on average 3.1 years later (2-5 years range). Conclusion: The GDM prevalence in our study aligns with data from Turkey and worldwide. Our findings highlights the increased risk of T2DM in patients with a history of GDM and a significant association between advanced maternal age and GDM prevalence. Implementing public health policies focusing on life style modifications and awareness campaigns may help reduce GDM incidence and its long-term complications.