Diabetes More Dangerous for Women's
Hearts
February 18, 2005
By Miranda Hitti
Heart Disease Death Risk Greater for Diabetic Women
Than Diabetic Men
Women with diabetes run a significantly greater risk
of dying from heart disease than men with diabetes.
The difference is about 50% greater for diabetic women
than for diabetic men, say Australian researchers.
"More aggressive treatment of diabetes in women
may help to offset the increase in heart disease risk
that is apparent in postmenopausal women," they
say.
Biostatistics professor Mark Woodward, PhD, and colleagues
announced their findings in Orlando, Fla., at the Second
International Conference on Women, Heart Disease, and
Stroke. The researchers work at The George Institute
for International Health, which is associated with the
University of Sydney.
The data came from previous studies. Altogether, more
than 450,000 people participated. Subjects lived in
the Asia-Pacific region (China, Japan, South Korea,
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand,
and Australia).
About 5% of all participants said they had diabetes,
according to a news release. As expected, people with
diabetes were at a disadvantage in regard to their heart's
health.
Diabetes is a well-known risk factor for heart disease.
It roughly doubles the risk of a deadly heart event,
say the researchers.
They found that women with diabetes were nearly 2.5
times more likely to die of heart disease than women
without diabetes. Men with diabetes also had a higher
heart disease death risk compared with men without diabetes.
Their risk was nearly 1.9 times -- or almost 90% --
higher than that of men without diabetes.
Using those numbers, the researchers calculated that
diabetic women have about a 50% greater risk of heart
disease death compared with men with diabetes.
More Work Ahead
Most studies included heart disease risk factors like
age, smoking, total cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
But they didn't provide every nugget of information
that researchers want.
For instance, not all studies showed what type of diabetes
the patients had, or if the women had gone through menopause.
Subjects' reports of diabetes weren't always backed
up by testing blood sugar after fasting -- the standard
blood test for diagnosing diabetes.
Could better diabetes management save hearts and lives?
Doctors from The George Institute are already working
on that question. Major studies have shown that better
management of diabetes reduces the risk of complications.
They're now conducting a large, randomized trial to
see if better blood sugar control and lower blood pressure
help people with type 2 diabetes avoid heart disease
death.
That trial is due to end in 2006. Meanwhile, people
with diabetes should work with their doctors to make
the best use of nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, and medications.
Those without diabetes shouldn't sit on the sidelines,
either. With inactivity, obesity, and stress, many people
are slowly sacrificing their heart's long-term health.
The difference might not be obvious from day to day,
but it adds up over time. Heart disease is a leading
killer in the U.S. for both men and women, whether they
have diabetes or not.
It's never too late to start turning things around.
The first step: check in with your doctor. They'll assess
your health and recommend safe, sensible ways to improve
your health now and for years to come.
Source:http://my.webmd.com
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