Invited Speaker Presentation Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Gestational diabetes - what's next? (108672)

Melinda Morrison 1
  1. Diabetes Australia, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) impacts more than 1 in 6 pregnancies in Australia1. The long-term health implications of GDM have been widely documented, including a 10-fold higher risk of future type 2 diabetes2 and a 2-fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease, even without progression to type 2 diabetes3. While GDM provides an opportunity for early identification and intervention in a high-risk group, many women do not attend for postpartum follow-up. Despite evidence for the benefit of lifestyle support after GDM, systematic referral and engagement with lifestyle support is lacking for Australian women after pregnancy. There are many barriers to postpartum follow-up and participation in lifestyle programs4. This presentation will discuss National Gestational Diabetes Register communications and strategies to engage women in follow-up, as well as available lifestyle support after a pregnancy with GDM. 

  1. AIHW. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2024) Diabetes: Australian facts, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 05 August 2024.
  2. Vounzoulaki E, Khunti K, Abner SC, Tan BK, Davies MJ, Gillies CL. Progression to type 2 diabetes in women with a known history of gestational diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ.2020;369:m1361.
  3. Kramer CK, Campbell S, Retnakaran R. Gestational diabetes and the risk of cardiovascular disease in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetologia. 2019; 62:905-914.
  4. Dennison RA, Ward RJ, Griffin SJ, Usher-Smith JA. Women's views on lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes: a systematic review, qualitative synthesis and recommendations for practice. Diabetic Medicine. 2019 Jun;36(6):702-717.