Diabetes in Women

Diabetes mellitus does not only double the risk to develop a cardiovascular disease (CVD) but also leads to a relative risk increase in coronary heart disease in females compared to males. Moreover, females with diabetes mellitus are more affected by cardiovascular diseases in terms of mortality and hospitalization rate than males. Although the increased risk for females with diabetes mellitus to develop cardiovascular diseases is more and more commonly known amongst healthcare personnel, studies show that females were less likely to receive statins, aspirin, and beta blockers. Consequently, females had higher blood pressure, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose levels than males despite a higher prevalence of stroke and heart failure history. As a result, fewer females with type 2 diabetes mellitus were treated according to guidelines compared to males. Moreover, cardioprotective glucose-lowering drugs like SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists are less often prescribed for females with type 2 diabetes mellitus and CVD than for males. Females with type 2 diabetes mellitus are currently less likely to receive guideline-recommended treatment and CVD risk reduction compared to males. Both males and females with type 2 diabetes mellitus require intensified efforts to screen for glucose metabolism disorders and other cardiovascular risk factors, as well as the early implementation of preventive measures and aggressive risk management strategies.