Genetic profile may predict chance of type 2 diabetes among women with gestational diabetes

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Women who go on to develop type 2 diabetes after having gestational, or pregnancy-related, diabetes are more likely to have particular genetic profiles, suggests an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. The findings provide insight into the genetic factors underlying the risk of type 2 diabetes and may inform strategies for reducing this risk among women who had gestational diabetes.

The study was conducted by Mengying Li, Ph.D., of the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and colleagues. It appears in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

“Our study suggests that a healthful diet may reduce risk among women who have had gestational diabetes and are genetically susceptible to type 2 diabetes,” said the study’s senior author Cuilin Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., of NICHD’s Division of Intramural Population Health Research. “However, larger studies are needed to validate these findings.”