Women And Diabetes

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By peace | November 25, 2007

Gestational diabetes is a unique form of diabetes which occurs in pregnancy, probably as a result of hormones made by the placenta which alter the way insulin works. Although glucose levels usually return to normal after the baby is born, women who have gestational diabetes and required insulin during pregnancy do run a higher than average risk of developing Type II diabetes later in life. Gestational diabetes most often occurs in pregnant women who are over the age of 30, who are obese, who have previously given birth to a very large or still born baby, or who have a family history of diabetes.

People with either Type I or Type II diabetes have an increased risk over their lifetime for stroke, coronary artery disease, high levels of blood cholesterol, foot infections, retinopathy, chronic kidney failure and nerve damage in the hands and feet. Recent research has conclusively shown that normalizing blood glucose levels in Type I diabetics helps prevent these complications. Many doctors believe that this holds true for Type II diabetics as well.

The strategy for controlling blood glucose for Type I diabetics is to watch diet, maintain a regular exercise program, and adjust insulin dosages carefully according to frequent blood glucose measurements. A woman can check her own glucose level several times a day at home with a simple device called the glucometer. The patient takes a small lancet, on a strip of paper, which is placed into a small machine. After a minute, the reading appears.

For the majority of women with diabetes, weight control is an especially important strategy for controlling blood glucose. For women with Type II diabetes who are overweight, a return to normal body weight can bring blood glucose to normal levels. Maintaining a healthy body weight may even help prevent Type II diabetes from developing. If blood glucose cannot be controlled by attention to weight, insulin therapy or oral medications — for example, oral hypoglycemics and a newer medication called metformin(Glucohapge), are the next step. In addition, health practices that make sense for everybody, such as getting regular exercise, avoiding cigarettes, and preventing ingrowth toenails, corns, and calluses on the feet, are particularly important for people with diabetes.

In certain women with diabetes, the hormones of the menstrual cycle appear to influence control of glucose levels. Some women may require more insulin during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, perhaps because the higher levels of progesterone at this time increase the body’s resistance to insulin. And some women have noticed that they require less insulin at the time of menopause.