The role of continuous glucose monitoring for diagnosis of gestational diabetes: exploring the potential.

Abstract

The diagnosis of gestational diabetes relies upon an oral glucose tolerance test which has established limitations and suboptimal levels of patient adherence. Despite use of different diagnostic criteria globally, rates of GDM are increasing in line with increasing rates of obesity. There is a clinical need to establish an alternative methodology to diagnose GDM. Recent studies have examined the diagnostic role of continuous glucose monitoring with particular emphasis on glucometrics that correlate with adverse pregnancy outcome and may indicate CGM-based diagnostic thresholds for GDM. Additionally, CGM metrics associated with pharmacotherapy necessity have been identified. Given this work is observational and non-interventional, more robust data in the form of randomised control trials are required. Identification of diagnostic thresholds for GDM diagnosis will likely be outcome based and rely on a large international multicentre analysis.