Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test OGTT and Insulin Tolerance Test ITT
Published on: January 7, 2018
Gestational Diabetes in Migrants: Prevalence and Metabolic Profile During Pregnancy: A Retrospective Italian Cohort
Fabrizia Citro1, Natalia Placenza1, Michele Aragona2
1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Aims:
Migration flows have brought many women of childbearing age to Italy, some of whom are from ethnic groups at high risk for gestational diabetes (GDM). However, the extent of migration and its impact on the prevalence of GDM in Italy are little known.
Materials And Methods:
We retrospectively analysed data from 4186 pregnant women (22% migrants) screened for GDM at the University Hospital of Pisa between 2014 and 2022. We compared GDM prevalence and risk factors between Italian and migrant women, and assessed metabolic profiles in those with GDM.
Results:
The proportion of migrant women increased from 8% in 2014 to 25% in 2022 (p < 0.001). Italian women were older (36 ± 5 vs. 32 ± 6, p < 0.001), while migrant women had higher pre-gestational BMI (24 [22-28] vs. 23 [21-26] kg/m2, p < 0.001) and more frequently a history of previous GDM (12% vs. 9%, p < 0.001). GDM prevalence was higher in migrants (47% vs. 37%, p < 0.001). Among GDM women, migrants had worse metabolic control (HbA1c 5.5% ± 2.5% vs. 5.2% ± 2.8%, p < 0.001), and more frequently required basal-bolus insulin therapy (6% vs. 3%, p = 0.003).
Conclusions:
Nowadays, one in four pregnant women is a migrant. Tailored dietary interventions should be encouraged in this population due to the higher risk of GDM and worse metabolic control.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
01:20Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
01:27Glucose Transporters
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
01:36Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...