Women with diabetes are at higher risk of heart failure than men with the condition, according to a new study. The research was conducted by a team that included researchers from the George Institute for Global Health at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia and The George Institute for Global Health at the University of Oxford, UK.
For the study, the team looked for possible sex differences that increase the risk of heart failure, which is also linked to diabetes. Observational studies from the PubMed database were included in the research. This was to help researchers identify sex-specific risk information on the relationship of diabetes with heart failure in both sexes.
Researchers found the risk of heart failure is 47 per cent higher for women with type 1 diabetes and 9 per cent higher for women with type 2 diabetes. For people with types 2 diabetes, heart failure is reportedly the second most common initial presentation of cardiovascular disease.
Sex differences in how diabetes is managed may be one of the reasons why there is such a huge difference between men and women. According to researchers, women tend to have lower blood sugar levels than men.
The need to act fast and tackle this issue is critical as the number of people expected to experience heart failure is on the rise. The authors stated, "highlighting the importance of intensive prevention and treatment of diabetes for women as well as men."The team now wants to conduct further research to "to reduce the burden associated with diabetes in both sexes."
Another study published in the journal Clinical Investigation discovered a cellular link between diabetes and one of its major complications. This increases the risk of deadly health issues like heart disease and stroke. Researchers found high blood glucose can activate an enzyme known as protein kinase A (PKA), which can have an impact on blood vessels in an unhealthy way. "We see every day in our clinics the devastating impact of diabetes on the health and lives of our patients. Our work brings into much clearer focus on how high glucose can damage the vascular system and gives us a new target for blocking its effects," study author Nipavan Chiamvimonvat told a news portal.
