Women With Type 2 Diabetes Need More Exercise Than Men

Women with type 2 diabetes are about twice as likely as men to have coronary heart disease, and they may need more frequent and intense physical activity to lower their risk of cardiovascular events, the American Heart Association reports.

According to Dr. Judith G. Regensteiner, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, the study shows that cardiovascular disease may be more deadly for women who have type 2 diabetes than for men.

“While we don’t fully understand how the inherent hormonal differences between men and women affect risk, we do know that some risk factors for heart disease and stroke affect women differently than men and there are disparities in how these risk factors are treated," Regensteiner said.

Sex differences

Among the study's findings, researchers concluded that women have heart attacks at earlier ages than men, women are more likely to die after the first heart attack than men and women are less likely to have their blood sugar controlled than men.

The study also found that women are likely to develop type 2 diabetes based on gender-specific differences, like the hormonal complications that come from polycystic ovary syndrome or gestational diabetes.

"To improve health equity in women and men with diabetes, we need to understand and improve both the biological reasons for the disparities and also control cardiovascular risk factors equally in both women and men," Regensteiner said. "This statement is a call for action to do the compelling research that is so important for all people with diabetes."

Source: American Heart Association