| Popis: |
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) typically occurs when maternal glucose metabolism fails to compensate for the gradually increasing insulin resistance which mainly derives from the indigenous production of diabetogenic placental hormones during pregnancy. With its rising prevalence nowadays, GDM constitutes one of the most serious health problems in pregnant women that may result in both maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes if not treated properly. Although most women succeed in controlling their blood glucose levels with diet alone, some require pharmacological treatment in order to achieve adequate glycemic control. For these women, insulin is considered to be the best pharmacological choice for their treatment. However, a growing number of recent studies suggest oral antidiabetic agents to be equivalent if not superior to insulin in terms of safety and efficacy for the treatment of GDM. The objective of this review is to evaluate efficacy and safety of metformin in the treatment of GDM based on the most recent data of the literature. |
