ABSTRACT
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) continues to be a major public health problem for the mother and unborn fetus with an estimated incidence of 3%–10% depending upon geographic location; it affects at least 105,000–350,000 women annually in the United States. The cornerstone of treatment is a diabetic diet, and when dietary modifications do not control maternal glycemia, pharmacological therapy is initiated. The administration of short- and long-acting insulin is required in 20%–60% of pregnancies that are complicated by GDM in order to maintain adequate glycemic control. Based on its high efficacy, 50%–80% of patients will achieve the targeted level of glycemic control. 1 Insulin is inconvenient and expensive, which makes it an even greater concern in developing countries. Therefore, there has been an unremitting search for a safe and effective alternative to insulin therapy especially in GDM and type 2 diabetes.
