Effects of a Lifestyle Intervention in Young Women with GDM and Subsequent Diabetes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether a 9-month intensive lifestyle intervention could lead to weight loss and improve cardiovascular risk factors among young women with both gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and newly diagnosed diabetes. A total of 83 young women, who had GDM and were subsequently diagnosed as type 2 diabetes at an average of 2.6 years after delivery, participated in a 9-month intensive lifestyle intervention and a follow-up survey at 6–9 years postintervention. After the 9-month intervention, these women had a weight loss of 2.90 kg (−4.02% of initial weight), decreased waist circumference (−3.12 cm), body fat (−1.75%), diastolic blood pressure (−3.49 mmHg), fasting glucose (−0.98 mmol/L) and HbA1c (−0.72%). During the 6–9 years postintervention period, they still had lower weight (−3.71 kg; −4.62% of initial weight), decreased waist circumference (−4.56 cm) and body fat (−2.10%), but showed a slight increase in HbA1c (0.22%). The prevalence of using glucose-lowering agents increased from 2.4% at baseline to 34.6% after the 9-month lifestyle intervention, and to 48.4% at 6–9 years postintervention. A 9-month intensive lifestyle intervention can produce beneficial effects on body weight, HbA1c and other cardiovascular risk factors among young women with previous GDM who subsequently developed new diabetes.