International Day of Action for Women’s Health

Today, we celebrate the International Day of Action for Women’s Health! This is the opportunity to talk about gestational diabetes affecting many pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is initially diagnosed during pregnancy and like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects how your cells process sugar (glucose).

Gestational diabetes is well treatable - in most cases even without insulin - and the vast majority of women with gestational diabetes have an otherwise normal pregnancy and give birth to a healthy child. However, regular check-ups are needed, and you should discuss therapy with your physician or even go to a specialised diabetes practice. In most of the cases, gestational diabetes does disappear after giving birth, but if you have gestational diabetes, you have an increased risk of getting type 2 diabetes – a lifelong type of diabetes - and you are more likely to develop gestational diabetes again in future pregnancies. You'll thus need to be tested for changes in blood sugar more often, also after you give birth.

Even though there are many factors we have no influence on, there are actions you can take to reduce the risk of developing gestational and in consequence type 2 diabetes and they can be summed up in making ‘healthy choices’: try to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, try not to gain too much weight during your pregnancy.

At REDDIE, we are researching how real-world data can complement randomised controlled trials to improve the efficacy, safety and value for money of diabetes prevention and treatment technologies. These data are particularly relevant to long-term conditions such as diabetes mellitus, where drugs, lifestyle interventions and digital technologies often work together. Using real-world data could include persons affected with gestational diabetes which are usually not included in randomised controlled trials.

Learn more about our Methodology.