She said studies had shown that women, who have gestational diabetes, are at an increased risk of developing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellites (NIDDM) as nearly 40 per cent of those with a history of gestational diabetes later develop the disease.

Dr Zulueta was among the nine Cuban doctors who presented their scientific research on various diseases in Brong Ahafo to the Sunyani Municipal Directorate of Health Services earlier in the week.

Among the diseases the doctors presented in their findings were malaria, infertility, diabetes, ulcer and guinea worm infection.

She said persons with NIDDM, which is the type two of the diabetes, do not have symptoms and do not know they have the disease.

She said 22 out of the 35 cases studied on epidemiological and clinical factors in diabetes patients at Kintampo in the region from November last year to January this year were females and 13 males.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that there were 135 million diabetes cases in 1995 and the number could increase to 300 million by the year 2025, she added.