Glucose tolerance during pregnancy in Asian women

The present study was aimed at examining differences in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) between two ethnic populations (immigrant Asians and indigenous White Caucasians) residing in Leicester, U.K. The study was divided into two parts: to determine the prevalence of GDM and to determine the level at which glycaemia may impose a risk to the mother and the foetus. Of a total of 12,005 pregnancies (4561 Asian and 7444 White Caucasian), over a 3-year period, 314 (6.8%) Asian and 504 (6.7%) White Caucasian were given a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 28-32 weeks for indications of 'large for date' pregnancies, hydramnios, glycosuria, a history of previous abortions, stillbirths, congenital abnormalities or glucose intolerance, and family history of diabetes. Abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT) was taken as a 2-h venous plasma glucose greater than or equal to 7.8 mmol/l which reverted to normal when formally tested during the puerperium (WHO criteria, 1985). AGT was found in 1.38% Asian and 0.87% White Caucasian pregnancies (P less than 0.01). This was further divided into impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (2-h value 7.8-11.1 mmol/l) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (2-h value greater than or equal to 11.1 mmol/l). IGT was found in 1.2% Asian and 0.84% White Caucasian pregnancies (P less than 0.01), and GDM in 0.18% and 0.02% respectively (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)