According to a study published in May 2019 in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) that compared roughly 12 million men and women, women with type 1 diabetes had a 47 percent higher risk of heart failure compared with men with type 1 diabetes. Women with type 2 diabetes had a 9 percent higher risk of developing the condition than men with 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,” says the lead author, Toshiaki Ohkuma, PhD, a research fellow at the George Institute for Global Health in Newtown, Australia. The reason for the difference is unclear, but researchers have a few theories. The prediabetes period, the time when blood sugar levels are elevated but you may not have symptoms or be diagnosed with diabetes yet, can be longer in women by as much as two years, which may be associated with a greater excess risk of HF. Also, heart attack symptoms in women are not well established and often go untreated, which may also correspond to an increased likelihood of HF in this population. “As the symptoms for women with a heart attack are less well known than the symptoms for men, many more women suffer from ‘silent heart attacks.’ They are not receiving treatment with silent heart attacks and the second heart attack is often more severe than the first,” says Robert Busch, MD, an endocrinologist and the director of clinical research at the Albany Medical Center in New York, who was not involved in the study. Study authors also note that “sex differences in diabetes management could underpin these associations, as historically women have had poorer blood sugar control than men.” “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,” says Dr. Ohkuma. RELATED: Heart Attacks Are Becoming More Common in Younger Women, Study Finds
Prevention Is Key to Reducing Risk of Heart Failure
Doctors are well aware of the relationship between heart failure and diabetes and, according to Dr. Busch, “Given this close relationship, we try to make sure to treat diabetes while protecting and caring for the heart.” But there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing heart failure, including:
Maintain your blood sugar and take all diabetes medications as prescribed. Check in with your doctor regularly to see if your prescription needs updating or if there are new drugs on the market that might be a good fit.Watch that cholesterol. LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) should be monitored regularly, and doctors may prescribe statin medications to help decrease your risk of developing heart disease.Monitor your blood pressure. A systolic pressure of 130 to 140 and diastolic pressure of around 90 are ideal for people with diabetes.Maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. Avoid high-fat and high-carb foods to help maintain a healthy glycemic index. Check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise programs to ensure your heart isn’t negatively impacted by physical stress.
Regular checkups with your physician can help pinpoint changes or fluctuating trends. You should see your doctor at least yearly.
