Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) Practice Exam

Women with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of which condition later in life?

1. Offspring with cystic fibrosis

2. Type 2 diabetes

3. Obesity

4. Offspring with heart defects

The correct answer is: Type 2 diabetes

Women with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life due to the underlying insulin resistance and metabolic changes that occur during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is characterized by glucose intolerance that appears or is first recognized during pregnancy, and these women have a higher likelihood of experiencing persistent insulin resistance even after pregnancy. Research indicates that about 50% of women who have gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 to 10 years after the pregnancy. This long-term risk is often attributed to factors such as obesity, lack of physical activity, and genetic predisposition, which can be exacerbated by the physiological effects of diabetes during pregnancy. While obesity is also a concern for women with a history of gestational diabetes, it is not a direct condition that they are guaranteed to develop but rather a risk factor that can increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Other options, such as offspring with cystic fibrosis or heart defects, are not directly associated with gestational diabetes. The main takeaway is that the metabolic changes during gestational diabetes significantly heighten the risk for the mother to develop type 2 diabetes in the future.