Rates of type 2 diabetes are increasing twice as rapidly among younger women compared to their older counterparts, according to a new analysis by Diabetes UK. The charity attributes this trend to insufficient follow-up care for women who develop gestational diabetes (GD) during pregnancy.
Rising Diagnoses in Younger Women
Data from 2017/18 to 2023/24 shows that diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in women under 40 surged by 47%, while in women aged 40 to 79, the increase was only 22%. Diabetes UK warns that this disparity highlights a missed opportunity for prevention.
Gestational Diabetes and Follow-Up Care
Gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women cannot produce enough insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. Although it typically resolves after childbirth, affected women face a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. The charity notes that poor postnatal monitoring is exacerbating the problem.
Women with GD should receive HbA1c blood tests between six and 13 weeks after birth and annually thereafter to monitor blood sugar levels. However, the first annual gestational diabetes audit by NHS England revealed that only 57% of women had an annual HbA1c test after GD. The audit also found that 11% of women with GD developed prediabetes within a year, and 15% progressed to type 2 diabetes within a decade.
Call for Action
Colette Marshall, chief executive of Diabetes UK, described the figures as a wake-up call. She stated: “Type 2 diabetes is rising twice as fast in younger women compared to older women, and a crucial opportunity for prevention is being missed. Every diagnosis is life-changing, but when it develops in younger people, type 2 diabetes is even more aggressive. Pregnancy shouldn’t be a pathway to ill health. Yet despite facing a much higher risk of type 2 diabetes, too many women with GD receive little or no follow-up care after pregnancy.”
Personal Story
Meg, 33, was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 2020 during her pregnancy. Six years later, she has not received any postnatal diabetes check-ups. The teacher from Somerset said: “I had gestational diabetes for the last two weeks of my pregnancy, before my son arrived prematurely at 29 weeks. I was given no information about my increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the steps I could take to prevent it.” She added that having clear guidance would have made her feel more supported.
Government Urged to Act
Diabetes UK has written to Women’s Health Minister Baroness Merron, calling for urgent action to improve postnatal support for women with GD. Marshall emphasized: “As the Government turns its strategy into action, support for women who have had gestational diabetes must not be overlooked.”
Approximately 4.7 million people in the UK are diagnosed with diabetes, but Diabetes UK estimates that nearly 1.3 million have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.
