The new guidelines are based in large part on findings from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy
Outcomes (HAPO) study3
and stipulate that an abnormal value for a 75-g OGTT (when the test is
performed in the morning after an overnight fast of at least 8 hours) at 24-28 weeks of gestation at any
of the three diagnostic cut points (Table 1) measurements is sufficient to make the diagnosis of GDM. It
is estimated that implementing these guidelines will increase prevalence of GDM more than 2-fold, from
around 7% currently to an estimated 17.8%.
6 This enormous increase in the number of patients with
GDM presents diabetes educators and the entire health care team with tremendous opportunities and
challenges.