ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It has been reported that patients with gestational diabetes have a considerable long term risk of developing diabetes mellitus. METHOD: Glucose tolerance was studied in the 12 months following birth in 155 patients diagnosed by the authors as having gestational diabetes and followed during pregnancy. RESULTS: It was observed that in 48% of the patients alterations persisted (33% glucose intolerance and 15% diabetes mellitus). Glucose tolerance during gestation and the perinatal results were retrospectively analyzed with a relation with the postpartum reclassification being observed. CONCLUSIONS: It was estimated that the percentage of alterations in glucose tolerance persisting postpartum is extremely high, suggesting the need for this test with a double objective: the reclassification of gestational diabetes and the early detection of glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus.
Subject(s)
Diabetes, Gestational/blood , Glucose Tolerance Test , Postpartum Period/blood , Adult , Blood Glucose/analysis , Chi-Square Distribution , Diabetes, Gestational/epidemiology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Glucose Tolerance Test/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Pregnancy , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
The level of diabetes education has been evaluated by means of a test questionnaire with 62 items in a group of 57 insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus (type I) patients who were cared for at a Hospital Diabetes Unit for a least six months prior the study. We observed that only 60% of our patients had an acceptable diabetes education. Our educational programme seems to be efficient for patients between 20 and 40 years old with a High School or University degree, although we think that the educational method should be changed for older or less educated patients. Moreover, we have analyzed the possible influence of diabetes education on the glycemic control, both globally, and in specific areas. We observed a significantly lower MBG in the patient group with a higher level of diabetes knowledge. The MBG and HbA1c values correlate with training in blood glucose autoanalysis.
