A Comparative Study of Metformin versus Insulin in Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

ABSTRACT newlineGestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) can be defined as glucose intolerance that begins or is first recognized during pregnancy. Uncontrolled blood sugar complicates about 1-14% of all pregnancies, which may range from a mild degree of hyperglycemia to insulin-dependent diabetes. Untreated hyperglycemia in pregnancy may lead to serious maternal and neonatal complications. These complications may be reduced either by appropriate diet, mild physical exercise or proper medication management. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the glycemic control, maternal outcome and neonatal outcome in gestational diabetic women treated with metformin versus insulin. Among 3972 pregnant ladies who visited in the obstetrics and gynecology department during the study period, 294 were diagnosed to have GDM. The prevalence of GDM in the current study setup was found to be 7.4%.8 subjects dropped out of the study due to various reasons. Out of 286 GDM patients, 140 were treated with insulin and 146 were treated with metformin. The result obtained from the study shows that all participants in both drug treatment groups achieved the goal of drug therapy. The overall result from the study says that metformin was found as effective as insulin in controlling glycemic status in GDM women. Metformin was found to be effective in reducing maternal and neonatal complications when compared to that of insulin treated group. Also, the affordable cost and convenience of oral administration make metformin more patient-friendly and thus increasing adherence to drug therapy can bring better patient compliance. Therefore metformin can be prescribed for pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus in order to bring down the elevated blood glucose level to a normal range and also the further complications of GDM may be minimized. newline newline