Diabetes, Women and Heart Attack

Filed in archive Lifestyle , Research on November 28, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Sharon Dominick

The cardiovascular risks in diabetes are bad in women 65 yeard old and older as compared to men. Older women with diabetes are more likely to die after a heart attack, according to research.

"The female advantage with fewer cardiovascular events than in men at younger ages is attenuated once a woman has the diagnosis of diabetes," Dr. Anna Norhammar and associates report.

They sought to identify gender-related differences in prognosis, risk factors, or treatment among 25,555 patients younger than age of 65 treated for heart attack between 1995 and 2002. In this cohort, 23 percent were women and 21 percent of women and 16 percent of men were previously diagnosed with diabetes.

During an average follow-up of 4.4 years, diabetic women had a 34 percent increased risk of dying, compared with diabetic men.

Compared with the male patients, female patients had higher rates of high blood pressure and heart failure and were more likely to smoke.

Does this mean that women should be more careful? We should, i think.