ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the randomized controlled trials of lifestyle interventions designed to reduce the risk of diabetes or diabetes risk factors among women with a history of Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). It describes the impact of the lifestyle interventions on the incidence of type 2 diabetes and biomarkers of insulin resistance, weight change, and healthy behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and breastfeeding. The chapter also describes the study design and methods of new randomized trials that have been recently launched. Among the nine randomized controlled trials conducted among women with GDM, two evaluated the impact of a lifestyle intervention on subsequent incidence of diabetes, and four examined the impact on postpartum biomarkers of insulin resistance. Postpartum lifestyle interventions are critical in light of findings from long-term follow-up studies that a significant proportion of women with GDM go on to develop type 2 diabetes, especially during the first decade after the index pregnancy.
