The fact that diabetes increases the risk of heart disease – and therefore cardiovascular disease – is nothing new. But what is new is that women appear to be at greater risk than men.
This is the conclusion reached by a research team in Sydney, Australia who studied the medical records of 450,000 patients, 5% of whom were diabetic, suffering from either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Their results show that diabetes is more dangerous for women than for men. To such an extent in fact that the increased risk is in the region of 50%.
A frightening figure when one considers that compared with a man in good
health, a male diabetic already has a 90% increased risk of coronary
problems. Which means that for women this would be more than doubled …
The researchers still don’t know the precise reasons for this difference
between the two sexes. But it’s clear that better management of diabetes in women could help reduce this disparity considerably.
So it’s worth remembering that for diabetics a healthy lifestyle and careful observance of treatment are essential in avoiding complications … in both men and women.
Destination Santé
