The medical condition ‘rising twice as fast’ among UK women

• Rates of type 2 diabetes are increasing twice as fast in younger women (under 40) compared to older women in the UK.
• This alarming trend is attributed by Diabetes UK to inadequate post-natal follow-up care for women who experienced gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
• Gestational diabetes, which affects 10-20 per cent of pregnant women, significantly raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later, even though it typically resolves after childbirth.
• NHS England's audit revealed that only 57 per cent of women with gestational diabetes received the recommended annual HbA1c test, with 15 per cent developing type 2 diabetes within a decade.
• Diabetes UK has urged Women's Health Minister Baroness Merron to implement urgent measures to improve postnatal support for women affected by gestational diabetes.

IN FULL

‘I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. Six years later, I’ve yet to receive any follow-up care’