Postpartum circulating microRNA enhances prediction of future type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes – published online 23/03/2021

Mugdha V. Joglekar, Wilson K. M. Wong, Fahmida K. Ema, Harry M. Georgiou, Alexis Shub, Anandwardhan A. Hardikar, Martha Lappas

Women with diabetes during pregnancy are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life than mothers without any history of gestational diabetes. Although clinical tests enable the identification of mothers at risk of type 2 diabetes, more accurate methodologies for early diabetes prediction are needed. In this issue, Joglekar et al (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-021-05429-z) used supervised learning methods to identify circulating microRNAs associated with future type 2 diabetes risk in women with gestational diabetes, post-delivery.  They found that levels of specific microRNAs at 12 weeks after delivery predicted diabetes progression over the next 10 years and enhanced current clinical risk-stratification methods. Their results demonstrate the potential of using circulating microRNA biomarkers in the early prediction of future diabetes. The authors conclude that these findings may help to facilitate more accurate identification of mothers at risk of diabetes and make way to interventions that could prevent diabetes in later life.

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