A simple screening test for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) at 24 to 28 weeks’ gestation can identify women in resource-constrained areas who might need a 75 gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), according to a study published online ahead of print March 27 in Diabetes Care. Using a FPG value of 4.4 mmol/L as the cutoff point could eliminate the need for approximately one-half of the OGTTs required in China, the authors say. The medical records of 24,854 pregnant women who underwent a 75 gram two-hour OGTT between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation (May 2011 through February 2012) at multiple hospitals throughout China were analyzed. Venous plasma glucose values were measured at zero (fasting), one, and two hours after the 75 gram glucose load. The researchers found that the GDM diagnosis rate increased with rising FPG values. At values greater than 5.1 mmol/L, all 3,149 women with GDM (12.1 percent) were identified. An FPG cutoff value of 4.4 mmol/L ruled out GDM in 15,369 women (38.2 percent) and diagnosed 87.8 percent of women with GDM (specificity of 0.458). Using the cutoffs of 4.4 mmol/L and 5.1 mmol/L to determine who should have the […]