Diabetes increases the risk of heart failure, particularly in women, a global study of 12 million people has found.
Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health in Oxford, England, reveal today (19 July 2019) that type 1 diabetes is associated with a 47% excess risk of heart failure in women compared to men, while type 2 diabetes has a 9% higher excess risk of heart failure for women than men.
The findings, published in today’s edition of Diabetologia, demonstrates the need for further sex-specific research into diabetes, they say.
Lead author and research fellow Dr Toshiaki Ohkuma from The George Institute said: “It is already known that diabetes puts you at greater risk of developing heart failure but what our study shows for the first time is that women are at far greater risk – for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
"The increased risk of heart failure following a diabetes diagnosis is significantly greater in women than men, which highlights the importance of intensive prevention and treatment of diabetes in women.
“Further research is required to understand the mechanisms underpinning the excess risk of heart failure conferred by diabetes [particularly type 1] in women and to reduce the burden associated with diabetes in both sexes."
The study, which drew on data from Australia, US, UK, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea, found that corresponding increases in risks for heart failure associated with type 2 diabetes were 95% in women and 74% in men. It also showed that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes were stronger risk factors for heart failure in women than men.
Study co-author Dr Sanne Peters, of The George Institute for Global Health at the University of Oxford, said: “Women were reported to have two years’ longer duration of prediabetes than men and this increased duration may be associated with greater excess risk of heart failure in women.
“Some major concerns are that women are also being undertreated for diabetes, are not taking the same levels of medications as men and are less likely to receive intensive care."
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 415 million adults worldwide live with diabetes, of whom approximately 199 million are women. The IDF expects about 313 million women will be suffering from the disease by 2040.
Diabetologia 19 July 2019
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