Diabetes More Dangerous for Women's Hearts

Feb. 18, 2005 -- 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.