Increased individual glucose tolerance test values in women with gestational diabetes

Individual oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) values may be of interest to clinicians. We evaluate factors associated with these values.

This retrospective study included 225 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes by abnormal 100-gram oral GTT. Predictor variables were maternal age, race/ethnicity, gravida, parity, pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI), weight gain in current pregnancy, family history of diabetes, personal history of gestational diabetes, and neonate gender. Outcome variables were continuous OGTT and categorical elevated OGTT for fasting, 1-hour postprandial, 2-hour postprandial, and 3-hour postprandial.

Obese BMI was associated with increased odds for higher fasting level in the continuous OGTT and elevated categorical OGTT; for 1-hour postprandial this significant obese association only occurred for the continuous OGTT. Higher weight gain in pregnancy was associated with a higher fasting level continuous OGTT and elevated categorical OGTT. Higher maternal age at time of delivery was associated with higher 2-hour continuous OGTT and an elevated 1-hour categorical OGTT. Female neonate gender was associated with decreased odds for elevated 2-hour categorical OGTT. Hispanic and Black race/ethnicities were each associated with higher 3-hour continuous OGTT.

These findings can help clinicians identify the women potentially at risk for having abnormal GTT values diagnostic of GDM to provide preemptive early intervention. Clinicians have the goals to identify these women early so that women can be properly educated and counseled in terms of their nutrition status and as to what negative clinical outcomes may occur should their glucose levels remain poorly controlled in the pregnancy.