Do Women with Gestational Diabetes Require Cardiovascular Risk Assessment? - Abstract
Non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are growing at an alarming rate and are emerging public health problems, both in the developed and low middle income countries (LMIC). Their major economic, social and healthcare impacts are likely to be seen more in LMIC, as these countries harbor 80% of people with diabetes [1]. Similarly, 80% of the global burden of CVD deaths occurs in developing country[2]. Approximately 5% of the pregnancies develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (ranging from 1 to 14%). However, its incidence is likely to rise in developing countries due to increased prevalence of obesity [3]. According to the guidelines from the American Heart Association, GDM is a risk factor for future CVD[4]. Hence, there is an urgent need to screen GDM pregnancies for early detection of cardiovascular events later in life.