Type 2 diabetes rates rising twice as fast in younger women as care ‘failed’

Experts have found that more younger women are developing type 2 diabetes due to ‘little’ care from hospitals.

Diabetes is a life-changing condition that can have a huge impact on how patients go about their day. While type 1 diabetes sadly cannot be cured, those who develop type 2 diabetes could end up reversing the condition if given the right support from healthcare professionals.

However, there seems to be a failure in the system as new analysis has found that rates of type 2 diabetes are rising twice as fast in younger women than in older women. According to charity Diabetes UK, this shocking statistic could be down to pregnant women who develop the condition receiving “little to no follow-up care”.

While some people can develop type 2 diabetes due to age, family history, lifestyle, or their weight, many women can develop a form of the condition called gestational diabetes (GD) when they are pregnant. This happens when the women cannot produce enough insulin, which leads to high blood sugar.

For many people GD can disappear after birth, however some patients can face a higher risk of this developing into type 2 diabetes. According to research, twice the amount of younger women are developing the condition compared to older women.

Analysis from 2017/18 to 2023/24 shows that diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in women under 40 rose by 47 per cent, compared to 22 per cent in women aged 40 to 79.

Diabetes UK is now raising concerns that one of the contributing factors to these rates is poor follow-up care for GD, which affects around 10 to 20 per cent of pregnant women.

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Women with GD are offered HbA1c blood tests between six to 13 weeks after birth to check for diabetes, with another check once a year to measure average levels.

Colette Marshall, chief executive 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.

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

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

An example of this reported lack of follow-up can be seen through Meg, who is a teacher from Somerset. She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 2020 when she was pregnant with her son.

However, six years later, she says she has still not had a postnatal check-up regarding diabetes despite being at a high risk factor.

The 33-year-old 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: “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.”