Risk factors for postpartum glucose intolerance in women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Objectives: To determine the risk factors for glucose intolerance (GI) during the postpartum period in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: This prospective cohort study included 72 Japanese women with GDM who underwent 75 g oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) at 12 weeks after delivery. These women were divided into the GI group and the normal group based on postpartum OGTT. Risk factors for GI, including levels of blood glucose (BG), area under the curve (AUC) of glucose, AUC insulin, HbA1c, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA-beta, insulinogenic index (II) and the oral disposition index (DI) in antepartum OGTT, were analyzed by logistic regression analyses. Results: Of the 72 women, 60 (83.3%) were normal and 12 (16.7%) had GI. By univariate logistic regression analyses, fasting BG, AUC glucose, HOMA-beta, II and oral DI were selected as risk factors for GI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the level of II in antepartum OGTT was a significant factor that predicted GI after delivery (odds ratio, 0.008; 95% CI, 0.0001-0.9; p < 0.05). Conclusions: II measured by OGTT during pregnancy might be a useful predictor of GI within the early postpartum period in women with GDM.