[Abnormal glucose tolerance and insulin resistance after diabetes in pregnancy].

Women with the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at a greater risk for developing diabetes in later life. This raises the question in which time span, to what extent and on which pathophysiological basis disorders of carbohydrate metabolism are to be expected post partum. Therefore 28 former gestational diabetes patients (GDM) were compared to 35 control patients, who had shown no irregularities in the oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy. The follow-up study took place 5 years after the screening during pregnancy. The Wilcoxon Test for random samples revealed significantly higher blood sugar levels in the GDM group compared to the control group at 0.1 h and 2 h (median: 0 h 96 mg % vs 91 mg %; 1 h 155 mg % vs 126 mg %; 2 h 117 mg % vs 105 mg %; p < 0,05). Whereas no differences were apparent for fasting insulin, the values of the GDM group showed a markedly higher insulin level (Wilcoxon Test: p < 0.05) after 1 h (median: 74 microU/ml vs 56 microU/ml), 2 h (median: 60 microU/ml vs 38 microU/ml) and 3 h (median: 50 microU/ml vs 33 microU/ml). The serum level of C-peptide responded accordingly 2 h (median: 6.7 ng/ml vs 5.4 ng/ml; p = 0.04) and 3 h (median: 5.9 ng/ml vs 4.9 ng/ml; p = 0.04) after an oral glucose load.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)