African American women at greater risk following gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes can be a potentially serious pregnancy complication, but it is often thought to have few long-term consequences, as it generally clears up after delivery.

However, contrary to this view, a new study has shown that African American women are significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes after experiencing gestational diabetes, substantially increasing their likelihood of needing a prescription to buy Actos.

A team of researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation tracked the health of more than 77,000 women who gave birth between 1995 and 2009. The results showed that African American who experienced gestational diabetes were 52 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than Caucasian women.

"Race and ethnicity should be considered among the risk factors for type 2 diabetes when physicians and nurses counsel women about their risk of developing diabetes after a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes," said lead researcher Anny H. Xiang.

The findings suggest that African American women may benefit from talking to their doctor about ways to reduce their risk of future metabolic problems after they have experienced gestational diabetes.