[Detecting type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes; a comparison of oral glucose tolerance test and at-home self-monitoring].

Postpartum follow up of patients with gestational diabetes (GDM) is of great importance due to the elevated risk of development of type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) concludes that follow-up is of utmost importance, but there are no guidelines of implementation. At Helsingborg Hospital all patients with insulin and/or metformin treated GDM are offered follow-up oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 3 and 12 months postpartum. During the Covid-19 pandemic patients were not offered OGTT but instead instructed to measure glucose levels at home seven times a day for two days and report the results. In this study we compared the results of patients that had undergone OGTT, and those who had measured glucose levels at home. We found that at-home measurements were flawed in detecting impaired glucose tolerance, and significantly fewer cases of diabetes were detected.