Sharp rise in diabetes cases prompts call for better postnatal support

Urgent improvement is needed in postnatal support for women with gestational diabetes as new analysis reveals a sharp rise in type 2 diabetes cases among women under 40.

Research by Diabetes UK highlights that type 2 diabetes is rising twice as fast in women under 40 than in those over 40.

The charity points to missed opportunities in follow-up care for women who have had gestational diabetes – which significantly raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy – as a contributor to the rise.

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.

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

The data from Diabetes UK’s analysis showed that type 2 diabetes diagnoses rose by 47% in women aged under 40 between 2017/18 and 2023/24 compared with a 22% increase in women aged 40-79 during this same six-year period.

Comparatively, type 2 diabetes diagnoses in men aged under 40 increased by 34% during the same timeframe.

The charity noted that type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that, if improperly managed, can lead to life-altering complications such as heart attacks and strokes.

The charity highlighted that when it develops in younger people, the condition is more aggressive – resulting in more severe and acute effects. Therefore, they said that urgent action to identify younger people at high risk of type 2 and intervene to prevent it is vital.

Diabetes UK emphasised that because women who have had gestational diabetes face a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy, they are a key demographic to target to help address rising case numbers.

Therefore, the charity is calling for consistent postnatal follow-ups for women after gestational diabetes and more referrals to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP).

It says that health services should be held accountable for improvements in postnatal care for women who have had gestational diabetes, and that inequities in care need to be addressed – particularly for women from deprived and minority ethnic communities.

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

‘As the government turns its strategy into action, support for women who have had gestational diabetes must not be overlooked.’

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

Last year, the NHS published the first ever national gestational diabetes audit covering England, which exposed worrying inconsistencies in follow-up care.

Even though all women with a diagnosis for gestational diabetes should receive support after pregnancy to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes, the report showed that only 4.5% ever received support through the NDPP.

The report also showed that, in 2024/25, of the women who had gestational diabetes recorded, only 57% received an annual HbA1c test, which should be offered to every woman who has had gestational diabetes.

The report also revealed that 11% of women developed prediabetes within five years of having gestational diabetes, and 15% developed type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

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

Gestational diabetes occurs when high blood sugar levels develop during pregnancy. 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 gestational diabetes will go on to have a healthy baby and a normal pregnancy, but if left untreated, it can cause serious health problems for the mother and baby. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy, but it significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in future.

The charity noted that, in England, if a person has had gestational diabetes, they can self-refer to the NDPP – a behaviour change programme that supports people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Meanwhile, if a patient lives in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, they can talk to their GP to access support.

As to why type 2 diabetes cases are rising in general, they stated that the situation is complex, but that obesity is a significant risk factor, and the number of people living with obesity in the UK – including those in younger age groups – has risen in recent years.

Furthermore, while type 2 diabetes has historically been associated with older people, diagnoses have been rising among younger age groups for some time.

Although UK-wide data for gestational diabetes is not readily available, one in five adults – more than 12 million – in the UK, have either diabetes or prediabetes. An estimated 6.9 million people live with prediabetes, but many are not aware of this.