Can Metformin Reduce Recurrence of Gestational Diabetes in Obese Women?

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of using metformin in pregnancy on prevention of recurrence of gestational diabetes in obese women. Methods: This is a multicentric randomized non placebo clinical trial including 91 obese women with past history of GDM women in 2 groups. 44 women in intervention group used metformin therapy during the second trimester of pregnancy compared to 47 women in control group. Screening test for GDM were performed to all women at 12-14 week and at 24-28 week gestation to detect cases with recurrent GDM. Results: Women in the intervention group showed a significant lower rate of recurrence of GDM in the second pregnancy compared to women in the control group (18.1% vs 53.1%, OR=0.19, 95% CI=0.07–0.5, p 0.001). Conclusion: Using metformin in the second trimester of pregnancy can effectively reduce the recurrence of GDM in obese women.