New Delhi– While both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes raise the risk of heart disease and early death, men and women appear to experience the effects differently, according to new research from Uppsala University in Sweden.
The study, which analyzed data from more than 400,000 patients between ages 18 and 84, found that younger men with Type 2 diabetes face worse cardiovascular and mortality outcomes than those with Type 1 diabetes. By contrast, women with Type 1 diabetes fare worse across almost all outcomes compared with women who have Type 2 diabetes.
“Women with Type 1 diabetes often develop the disease at a young age, so they live with it longer, which increases their lifetime risk of heart and blood vessel problems,” said Dr. Vagia Patsoukaki of Uppsala University. “They may also lose some of the natural protection women usually have against heart disease, and often receive less aggressive treatment for cardiovascular disease than men.”
For men, the risks differ. “Younger men with Type 2 diabetes tend to have more risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, and unhealthy lifestyles. Their diabetes is often more aggressive, and they may be diagnosed later, making their early outcomes worse,” Patsoukaki explained.
The study found that men under 50 with Type 2 diabetes had a 51 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease, a 2.4 times greater risk of heart attack, and a 2.2 times higher risk of heart failure than men with Type 1 diabetes.
For women overall, cardiovascular mortality was 34 percent lower and all-cause mortality 19 percent lower in those with Type 2 diabetes compared with those with Type 1 diabetes, particularly among women over 50.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and the findings highlight the importance of tailoring prevention and treatment strategies by both gender and type of diabetes.
The results will be presented at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria. (Source: IANS)
