History of Development of the Diagnostic Criteria for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Japan and the HAPO Study

After the publication of the results of Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome study (HAPO study) in 2008, the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) proposed the International Standardized Definition and Diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in 2010. The number of patients diagnosed as having GDM is expected to increase with the use of the revised new diagnostic criteria for GDM. Although the difference in the diagnostic yield would depend on the old diagnostic criteria in each region, the diagnosis rate of GDM is expected to increase by 1.5- to 4-fold with the use of the new revised criteria. In the conventional management system, the significant increase in the time that would need to be devoted for nutritional instruction will put a great burden on registered dietitians. There is an urgent need to create an adequate system to handle the increase in the number of women with GDM diagnosed according to the revised diagnostic criteria for GDM.