Effects of a Lifestyle Intervention During Pregnancy and First Postpartum Year: Findings From the RADIEL Study

Women with a history of gestational diabetes (GDM) have a sevenfold risk of developing type 2 diabetes. To assess the effects of a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy and first postpartum year on glucose regulation, weight retention, and metabolic characteristics among women at high GDM risk. In the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention study, trained study nurses provided lifestyle counseling in each trimester and 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months postpartum. Three maternity hospitals in the Helsinki area and one in Lappeenranta. In total, 269 women with previous GDM and/or a prepregnancy body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 were enrolled before 20 gestational weeks and allocated to either a control or an intervention group. This study includes the 200 participants who attended study visits 6 weeks and/or 12 months postpartum. The lifestyle intervention followed Nordic diet recommendations and at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise was recommended weekly. The incidence of impaired glucose regulation (impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or type 2 diabetes) during the first postpartum year. Impaired glucose regulation was present in 13.3% of the women in the control and in 2.7% in the intervention group [age-adjusted odds ratio, 0.18 (95% confidence interval, 0.05 to 0.65), P = 0.009] during the first postpartum year. There were no differences between the groups in weight retention, physical activity, or diet at 12 months postpartum. A lifestyle intervention during pregnancy and the first postpartum year successfully reduced the incidence of postpartum impairment in glucose regulation.