Up to one in seven pregnant women in Germany is affected by gestational diabetes. One of the causes is a change in metabolism: hormones produced by the placenta counteract the effects of insulin, while at the same time the mother’s weight increases. If the body’s own insulin production is no longer sufficient to regulate blood sugar levels, blood sugar rises. Women who are obese, older, have existing insulin resistance, or who have had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy are at particular risk. “However, gestational diabetes can affect any woman, which is precisely why screening is so important for everyone,” said diabetologist and researcher PD Dr. Oana-Patricia Zaharia at the Düsseldorf Diabetes Day held at the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts, which was attended by approximately 950 participants this year.
Screening for gestational diabetes usually takes place between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy at the gynecologist’s office: The patient drinks a solution containing 50 grams of glucose (grape sugar), and then her blood sugar is measured. If the level is elevated, a test using 75 grams of glucose is performed to confirm the diagnosis of gestational diabetes. If high blood sugar remains untreated, the mother’s risk of high blood pressure, preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension), and complications during childbirth increases. The baby may have a higher birth weight and experience hypoglycemia immediately after birth.
Women affected can take proactive steps themselves through a balanced diet and exercise
After pregnancy, blood sugar levels should return to completely normal. “However, this is not the case for up to 40 percent of women. This makes it all the more important for women to attend their follow-up appointments six to twelve weeks after giving birth and have their levels checked,” Zaharia emphasized. This is precisely where a gap in care exists, however: A DDZ study showed that only about two out of five women with gestational diabetes undergo diabetes screening after giving birth. “Gestational diabetes is more than a temporary diagnosis: Those who have had it face a lifelong risk of type 2 diabetes that is up to ten times higher. Blood sugar levels should continue to be monitored regularly,” urged Prof. Michael Roden, Scientific Director and Spokesperson for the DDZ Executive Board, as well as Director of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf.
In addition to follow-up care, those affected can also take active steps in their daily lives: A balanced diet and exercise tailored to pregnancy often help lower blood sugar levels sufficiently. If that is not enough, insulin is a proven treatment during pregnancy. Breastfeeding can also have a positive effect on the mother’s health, as shown by a 2024 analysis from the German Gestational Diabetes Study (PREG), in which the DDZ is also involved: Longer breastfeeding was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This association was particularly evident in women who had previously had gestational diabetes. More information on the treatment of gestational diabetes is available on the information platform diabinfo.de.
About Düsseldorf Diabetes Day
The Information Day took place for the 24th time in 2026 and is jointly organized by the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), the Regional Innovation Network (RIN) Diabetes e.V., the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf, the German Diabetes Aid – People with Diabetes – (DDH-M) North Rhine-Westphalia Regional Association, as well as Düsseldorf-based diabetes specialists and the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts.
Media contact:
German Diabetes Center (DDZ)
Press office
Susan Jörges
Auf‘m Hennekamp 65
40225 Düsseldorf
Phone: +49 (0)211 3382-450
pressestelle@ddz.de
The German Diabetes Center (DDZ) serves as the German reference center for diabetes. Its objective is to contribute to the improvement of prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus. At the same time, the research center aims at improving the epidemiological data situation in Germany. The DDZ coordinates the multicenter German Diabetes Study and is a point of contact for all players in the health sector. In addition, it prepares scientific information on diabetes mellitus and makes it available to the public. The DDZ is part of the Leibniz Association (Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, WGL) and is a partner of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.). www.ddz.de/en
The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) is a national association that brings together experts in the field of diabetes research and combines basic research, translational research, epidemiology and clinical applications. The aim is to develop novel strategies for personalized prevention and treatment of diabetes. Members are Helmholtz Munich – German Research Center for Environmental Health, the German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf, the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Potsdam-Rehbrücke, the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of Helmholtz Munich at the University Medical Center Carl Gustav Carus of the TU Dresden and the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of Helmholtz Munich at the Eberhard-Karls-University of Tuebingen together with associated partners at the Universities in Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig, Lübeck and Munich. www.dzd-ev.de/en
