Rising rates of type 2 diabetes in young women linked to ‘missed opportunities’ in postnatal care

‘Missed opportunities’ in postnatal care could be putting young women on course for type 2 diabetes and a lifetime of serious health problems, a charity has warned.

New data released by Diabetes UK shows type 2 diabetes is rising at an alarming rate in women under the age of 40.

During a six-year period from 2017/18 to 2023/24, type 2 diabetes diagnoses rose by 47 per cent in women under 40, compared to 22 per cent in women aged 40 to 79. Over the same period, type 2 diabetes diagnoses in men under 40 increased by 34 per cent.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition which, if not managed well, can lead to life-altering complications such as heart attacks and strokes.

When it develops in younger people, the condition is more aggressive with more severe and acute effects, so urgent action to identify younger people at high risk of type 2 and intervene to prevent it is vital.

Diabetes UK is concerned that poor follow-up care for women who have had gestational diabetes (GDM) – which significantly raises the risk of type 2 diabetes after pregnancy – is contributing to the rising rates.

The charity has written to the Women’s Health Minister, Baroness Merron, to ask for urgent improvements to postnatal support for those diagnosed with GDM during pregnancy.

GDM affects between 10 to 20 per cent of pregnant women, but cases have long been underreported, and UK-wide data relating to the condition has not been readily available.

However last year, the NHS published the first ever national GDM audit covering England, which exposed worrying inconsistencies in follow-up care.

The report showed that, in 2024/25, of those women who had GDM recorded, only 57 per cent received an annual HbA1c test – a measure of average blood glucose levels – which should be offered to every woman who has had GDM. The report also revealed that 11 per cent of women developed prediabetes within five years of having GDM, and 15 per cent developed type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

After pregnancy, women with a GDM diagnosis should receive support to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes, however the report showed that only 4.5 per cent have ever received support through the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.

Recent Diabetes UK-funded research highlighted the emotional impact of these inconsistencies in care, revealing that more than a third of women with GDM felt abandoned by healthcare services after giving birth.

Meg, aged 33, a teacher from Somerset, was diagnosed with GDM in 2020 when pregnant with her son. Meg said: “I had gestational diabetes for the last two weeks of my pregnancy, before my son arrived prematurely at 29 weeks. I was given no information about my increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the steps I could take to prevent it.

“I had a phone call with my GP after the birth, but there weren’t any discussions about my gestational diabetes.”

She added: “Six years later, I’ve still not had a postnatal check-up or follow-up. I’m surprised that I never had follow-up HbA1c checks, particularly as I’m considered high risk for type 2 diabetes, not only because of the gestational diabetes, but also because I have polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome and family members with type 2 diabetes.

“Having clear facts about what gestational diabetes means for you during and after pregnancy, and how to manage it, would have made me feel so much more supported, both physically and mentally.”

In its letter to Baroness Merron, Diabetes UK acknowledged that some improvements in care have been made this year, but expressed concerns that these do not go far enough.

The charity is calling for:

• Consistent postnatal follow-ups for women after GDM and more referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
• Health services to be held accountable for improvements in postnatal care for women who have had GDM
• Inequities in care to be addressed, particularly for women from deprived and minority ethnic communities.

Colette Marshall, Chief Executive Officer at Diabetes UK, said: “These figures should be a wake‑up call.

“Type 2 diabetes is rising twice as fast in younger women compared to older women, and a crucial opportunity for prevention is being missed.”

She added: “Every diagnosis is life-changing, but when it develops in younger people, type 2 diabetes is even more aggressive.

“Pregnancy shouldn’t be a pathway to ill health. Yet despite facing a much higher risk of type 2 diabetes, too many women with GDM receive little or no follow-up care after pregnancy.”

She continued: “As the Government turns its Strategy into action, support for women who have had gestational diabetes must not be overlooked.”

GDM occurs when high blood sugar levels develop during pregnancy and increases the future risk of type 2 diabetes.

The condition has many complex risk factors, including, age, genetics, living with overweight or obesity, being from a South Asian, Black or African Caribbean or Middle Eastern background, and living in an area of high socioeconomic deprivation.

Most women with GDM will go on to have a healthy baby and a normal pregnancy, but if left untreated, it can cause serious health problems for you and your baby.

GDM usually goes away after pregnancy, but it significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in future.

Women who have had GDM should be offered an annual HbA1c test. In England women who have had GDM can self-refer or ask their GP to refer them to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme.

Diabetes UK has developed a gestational diabetes traffic light tool, to help healthcare professionals and people who have had GDM ensure follow-up care is given after pregnancy.