«Es relatively common for a woman who has had gestational diabetes to develop type 2 diabetes in the future, especially in our environment. The pancreas is put to the test during pregnancy, and that’s when insulin resistance can arise,» explains Dr. Cristina Tejera, a specialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition, as well as a doctor in Medicine, in an interview with Europa Press Salud Infosalus.
During pregnancy, the famous glucose curve is done for women with obesity, those over 35, as well as those with a first-degree family history of diabetes, or polycystic ovary syndrome. «The reality is that if you have developed diabetes during pregnancy, you have a higher probability of developing it later in life. In fact, 50-60% of women, especially from 45-50 years old, will develop type 2 diabetes if they have had gestational diabetes,» she adds.
She advises women who have had gestational diabetes postpartum to repeat the curve three years after giving birth, as the author of ‘Facing Diabetes’ (La esfera de los libros). She also points out that pregnancy can sometimes be the onset of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. «These are rare situations, but they can happen because women are giving birth at older ages, and obesity levels play a significant role. Currently, we see more cases of type 2 diabetes that are mistaken for gestational diabetes,» she explains.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIABETES
She also recommends that women who have had gestational diabetes take care of their diet and physical exercise to prevent it in the future: «Women with gestational diabetes, overweight or obesity, especially abdominal obesity, those with a family history of diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, or metabolic liver disease, are at high risk of developing diabetes, as are smokers, as smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as unhealthy diets.»
Dr. Cristina Tejera believes that «our choices today will determine our health tomorrow» and that preventing diabetes is a long-term commitment. She emphasizes the importance of daily intake of fruits and vegetables, eating a variety of colors, consuming good quality fats (avocado, nuts, vegetable oils, seeds, and especially oily fish), and monitoring protein intake in all meals.
«There are other dietary patterns that can help prevent diabetes, such as a vegetarian or ovolactovegetarian diet, or intermittent fasting, which can reduce the risk if done in a healthy way, not just by eating once a day and overloading. The most common is the 16-8 hours method, where food is consumed within those hours, and it’s important not to overeat. The magic of fasting optimizes metabolism,» she insists.
«If we are less active on a particular day, we should not go more than two days without physical activity. We need to keep moving, stay active in our daily lives, take the stairs, park further away, and break that sedentary cycle. For those who work sitting down, taking a short walk every 45 minutes is recommended to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes,» emphasizes this endocrinologist. She also points out that poor sleep is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, in addition to smoking.
