October 2026
Most risk factors for type 2 diabetes affect both men and women. These include high body mass index (BMI), physical inactivity, family history of diabetes, being over age 45, having high blood pressure, or having elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
But some diabetes risk factors are specific to women, including polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) and gestational diabetes.
Learn more about what these conditions are, how they impact your risk of developing diabetes, and what you can do to reduce your risk.
PMOS and diabetes risk
Polyendrocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), is a common hormonal condition in women that’s marked by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. While all women produce a small amount of androgens (“male” hormones), women with PMOS have higher levels than normal. PMOS is also highly associated with elevated insulin and insulin resistance.
Symptoms of PMOS
Symptoms of PMOS include irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth, acne, infertility, obesity, high insulin levels, and insulin resistance.
How PMOS increases diabetes risk
Researchers aren’t sure what comes first: high insulin levels and insulin resistance (which can lead to increased androgen production) or increased androgen production (which can lead to insulin resistance).
Either way, women with PMOS need to be aware that they are at risk of developing prediabetes or diabetes. According to the Office of Women’s Health, more than half of women with PCOS (PMOS) will develop diabetes or prediabetes before the age of 40.
If you have any signs of PMOS, talk with your healthcare provider. And if you do have PMOS, make sure you’re getting your A1C tested regularly so you can catch prediabetes or diabetes early. Your healthcare provider can let you know if other diabetes screening tests are right for you.
Gestational diabetes and future diabetes risk
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy in a woman who didn’t have diabetes beforehand. It happens to about 6% of 8% of pregnant women.
During pregnancy, hormone changes can make the body’s cells more resistant to insulin. Most women produce additional insulin to compensate, but some cannot keep up with the increased demand. As a result, blood sugar levels rise.
Symptoms of gestational diabetes
Women with gestational diabetes often have no symptoms or their symptoms are mild, mainly feeling thirstier than normal or having to urinate more. That’s why OBs and midwives routinely screen pregnant women for gestational diabetes.
Diabetes risk after pregnancy
Gestational diabetes typically resolves once the baby is born. But women who developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy are up to 2.5 times more likely to develop diabetes later in life, compared to women who have never had gestational diabetes.
Up to one-third of women with gestational diabetes have impaired glucose metabolism after their baby is born. These women are even more at risk of developing diabetes later in life. But progression to diabetes can be delayed — or even prevented — by lifestyle changes and medication.
That’s why both the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist recommend that all women who have had gestational diabetes during their pregnancy get a glucose tolerance test between four weeks and 12 weeks after giving birth. Even if the test is normal, both organizations recommend regular diabetes screening every one to three years.
Your local pharmacy can help
Managing diabetes risk starts with knowing your numbers and understanding your options. Visit your local Good Neighbor Pharmacy for support with blood glucose testing supplies, medication questions, and pharmacist guidance to help you stay on track.
