Housing costs are relatively high in all areas of the county. The county is divided into two major geographical units by series of northwest/southeast running hills; the 32 mile long coastal plain and the Livermore-Amador Valley. Elevations in Alameda County begin at sea level and reach 3,700 feet in east county. Moderate year-round temperatures near the San Francisco Bay contrast with hot summers in the eastern area of the county.
Definition. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy . The definition applies whether insulin or only diet modification is used for treatment and whether or not the condition persists after pregnancy.
Normal human pregnancy is accompanied by hyperinsulinaemia and normal to slightly decreased glucose tolerance (38). However, GDM occurs in â¼3% of Western women and is defined as diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy that then resolves postpartum (39).