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CDC: Prevalence of diabetes in pregnancy rising in US
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The prevalence of both gestational diabetes and preexisting diabetes before pregnancy in the United States increased slightly between 2012 and 2016, with rates varying widely by race, jurisdiction and prepregnancy BMI, according to study findings published in the Nov. 2 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In an analysis of birth data from the National Vital Statistics System across 40 jurisdictions in the U.S., researchers found that age- and race-standardized prevalence of preexisting diabetes was stable at 0.8%, whereas the prevalence of gestational diabetes increased from 5.2% to 5.6%. However, prevalence varied by all characteristics examined, according to the researchers, including race, prepregnancy BMI and jurisdiction. For example, the prevalence of gestational diabetes was highest among Asian women at 11.1% in 2016, whereas the 2016 prevalence of preexisting diabetes was highest among Native American and Alaskan native women at 2.1%. Among women with class III obesity, prevalence of preexisting and gestational diabetes was 3.2% and 13.9%, respectively, whereas prevalence among underweight women was 0.3% and 2.9%, respectively.
“Observed increases in the prevalence of preexisting and gestational diabetes might reflect, in part, recent increases in the prevalence of prepregnancy obesity,” Nicholas P. Deputy, PhD, of the division of reproductive health at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the CDC, and colleagues wrote. “Estimates of preexisting diabetes may be leveling off compared to what has been seen in recent years.”
The researchers also observed varying rates across jurisdictions within the U.S. After adjusting for age and race, the 2016 prevalence of preexisting diabetes ranged from 0.5% in California to 1.7% in West Virginia. The prevalence of gestational diabetes ranged from 3.4% in Washington, D.C., to 9.2% in South Dakota, according to the researchers.
The researchers cited several limitations with the data, including a change in the recommendations for gestational diabetes screening in 2014, and noted that differences in standardized prevalence between two times do not necessarily imply a steady rate of change during the entire period, which might not reflect the actual variation observed.
“Preconception care and lifestyle interventions before, during and after pregnancy might prevent, control or mitigate risks associated with diabetes during pregnancy,” the researchers wrote. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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