In general, women live longer than men, maybe due to lower risk of any heart diseases, yet they are prone to diabetes too. We often assume that there is little or no gender difference when it comes to type-1(Insulin dependent) and type-2(non-insulin dependent) diabetes.
Risk factors for type-2 diabetes can be reduced by 58% just by losing weight, similarly physical activity can reduce the risk by 64%. Major risk factors include, above 40 years could one and with large waist size. Often it may be 25 years and above, being black or South Asian ethnic origin or family history of this condition.
The risk for heart diseases in women is higher by 6 folds than those without. Whereas as in men, diabetes increases the risk of any heart diseases by 2-3 folds than those healthy individual men. The sex ratio is almost same in children diagnosed under 15 for type-1 diabetes, but while the cultures which have the highest incidence (European origin) show male are at more risk. Whereas lowest incidence (especially non-European) shows female bias.
- Biological Differences:The hormone estragon & testosterone plays a key role in diabetes in men and women, where women with diabetes are at more risk for any kidney disorders than men with diabetes. Women with diabetes have less estragon and testosterone shoots ups, if this is balanced by hormone therapy this kidney disorder can be restored.
Obesity is one of the major factors with type-2 diabetes can cause more risk in men than women as the stored body fats are majorly near abdominal regions. Whereas women have peripheral fats and sub cutaneous fats associated with improved insulin sensitivity hence protective against type-2 diabetes. This is the reason why men develop diabetes at much lower body mass index when compared to women of same age. In general women have smaller body mass compared to men.
- Cardiovascular Risks:In common men are more prone to cardiovascular diseases than women, but coronary heart diseases due to diabetes are greater in women than men. This is more pronounced by cardiovascular risk factors differ more among women with and without diabetes than among diabetic and non-diabetic men.
- Insulin Resistance:Men are more insulin resistance than women due to the difference is body fat distribution this is because of higher proportions of visceral and hepatic fats.
- Sex hormones:Sex hormones like oestrogen and testosterone can effect partly with insulin resistance and blood glucose levels in men and women. After menopause in women, this insulin sensitivity will decline due to falling in oestrogen levels in women. This higher oestrogen levels in women have little advantageous in the deposition of adipose tissue in subcutaneous fat, whereas higher testosterone levels have central fat accumulation in men and women.
- Troublesome Being Female:Often heart diseases are more complicated in women with diabetes, than in men. This might get deadly if this is the case with older women.
Kidney complications could be one of the reasons why there might be more complications in female than in men. Kidney disorders don’t effect many women until they get to menopause, where oestrogen levels fall down, and become same as men at harmonic levels. Yet women with diabetes are just as likely to get kidney diseases as men irrespective of age.
Depression has about twice the effect in women than men, and maybe higher risk in women with diabetes than men. Emotional conditions may sometimes be risk factors in men and women.