According to a study, women with a history of gestational diabetes can still reduce their chances of developing type 2 diabetes by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as eating well, exercising frequently, quitting smoking, and not being overweight.

The results showed that women who adhered to five key lifestyle factors – a healthy weight, high-quality diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and not smoking – had a 90% lower risk of the disease than women who did not adhere. Those who are overweight are at high genetic risk for type 2 diabetes. It is known that a healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in a healthy middle-aged population.

To optimal levels of five modifiable risk factors, researchers evaluated the associations of adherence. They are a healthy body mass index, a high-quality diet, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and nonsmoking with a risk of developing type 2 diabetes among these women are at high risk.

Their findings are based on data from 4,275 women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus from the Nurses’ Health Study II. It is based on the repeated measurements of weight and lifestyle factors over 28 years.

The researchers assessed whether these associations varied according to obesity status or underlying genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. 924 women developed type 2 diabetes during an average follow-up of 28 years.

The researchers found that participants who had optimal levels of all five modifiable factors after the index pregnancy had a 90% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who had none.

Researchers said, “Our study highlights the important public health opportunity for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in this high-risk population.”