Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Nov 15, 2023; 14(11): 1693-1709
Published online Nov 15, 2023. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v14.i11.1693
Cellular and molecular overview of gestational diabetes mellitus: Is it predictable and preventable?
Pei-Qi Lim, Yen-Ju Lai, Pei-Ying Ling, Kuo-Hu Chen
Pei-Qi Lim, Yen-Ju Lai, Pei-Ying Ling, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taiwan Adventist Hospital, Taipei 105, Taiwan
Pei-Ying Ling, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States
Kuo-Hu Chen, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Tzu-Chi General Hospital, Taipei 231, Taiwan
Kuo-Hu Chen, School of Medicine, Tzu-Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan
Author contributions: Lim PQ and Chen KH designed the research study; Lim PQ, Lai YJ, Ling PY, and Chen KH performed the research; Lim PQ, Lai YJ, and Chen KH analyzed the data; Lim PQ, Lai YJ, and Chen KH wrote the manuscript; All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare having no conflicts of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kuo-Hu Chen, MD, MSc, PhD, Academic Editor, Attending Doctor, Chief Physician, Director, Professor, Senior Editor, Senior Researcher, Surgical Oncologist, Teacher, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Tzu-Chi Hospital, The Buddhist Tzu-Chi Medical Foundation, No. 289 Jianguo Road, 231 Xindian, Taipei 231, Taiwan. alexgfctw@yahoo.com.tw
Received: February 26, 2023
Peer-review started: February 26, 2023
First decision: April 20, 2023
Revised: May 18, 2023
Accepted: October 11, 2023
Article in press: October 11, 2023
Published online: November 15, 2023
Core Tip

Core Tip: Maternal and fetal effects of uncontrolled gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) include stillbirth, macrosomia, neonatal diabetes, and birth trauma. Risk factors are maternal obesity or overweight, pre-existing diabetes mellitus, and polycystic ovary syndrome. The complex pathophysiology involves genetic variants, pancreatic β cell depletion or dysfunction, aggravated insulin resistance due to glucose transporter 4 translocation failure, and chronic, low-grade inflammation. Antepartum measurements including adipokines (leptin), body mass ratio (waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio), and biomarkers (microRNA in extracellular vesicles) are useful markers for predicting GDM. For preventing GDM, physical activity and diet (such as the Mediterranean diet) control are effective interventions.