Women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are known to be at increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Other cardiovascular risk factors that integrate the metabolic syndrome also seem to be more prevalent in this group of women. On the other hand, several studies have shown that there is an ethnic effect on disease risk. Prevalence of type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors vary greatly in populations of different ethnicity. Therefore, we have reviewed the available evidence on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome components in women with previous GDM along with the differential characteristics of each ethnic group.