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Gestational diabetes doesn't end at delivery. A large study of over 1 million women found that those with GDM face a tenfold higher risk of type 2 diabetes and significantly elevated risks for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity in the years after birth. Experts say postpartum care needs to go well beyond glucose screening.
Pregnancy may be the earliest cardiometabolic stress test most women ever take — and gestational diabetes (GDM) is a major red flag. A study published in JAMA Network Open, analyzing data from over 1.15 million commercially insured women, found that those with GDM faced dramatically elevated risks for a wide range of cardiometabolic conditions in the years following delivery, not just type 2 diabetes.
The risks emerged quickly — often within the same postpartum window when clinicians typically screen for glucose — and persisted over time. Even at 5–10 years postpartum, the risk for type 2 diabetes remained more than sixfold higher in women with GDM. Notably, chronic kidney disease risk was not significantly elevated.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: GDM affects roughly 1 in 7 pregnancies globally, yet fewer than half of women return for the recommended postpartum glucose test. Experts are calling for postpartum visits to expand beyond glucose checks to include blood pressure, lipids, and weight — and for better care transitions from OB to primary care to prevent women from falling through the cracks.
