Gestational diabetes in PCOS pregnancies: pooled prevalence 24%
Source: Yuan Y et al., Frontiers in Endocrinology, 17 July 2026 (PMID 42539429)
Summary
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Endocrinology (17 July 2026) pooled 22 studies covering 5,507 women with PCOS to estimate how often gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurs in PCOS pregnancies. The pooled prevalence was 24% (95% CI 20–28%). The factors most strongly associated with GDM in this population were insulin resistance measured by HOMA-IR (OR 3.41), a family history of diabetes (OR 2.88), gestational weight gain (OR 1.58) and pre-pregnancy BMI (OR 1.39). As with any meta-analysis of observational studies, these are associations and not proof of cause, and the figures carry real heterogeneity between studies — diagnostic criteria for both PCOS and GDM have shifted over the period covered.
Why it matters for you
If you have PCOS and are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, this is the number behind the advice you have probably already been given: ask for early GDM screening rather than waiting for the routine 24–28 week test, especially if you have a family history of diabetes or a known high HOMA-IR. Our page on insulin resistance explains how HOMA-IR is calculated.