Type 2 diabetes may trigger different health risks in men and women

Researchers found that men with type 2 diabetes were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or end-stage renal disease, while women were more likely to develop mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and somatoform disorders. Researchers used linked primary and secondary healthcare records.

Rather than examining individual complications in isolation, the researchers used a multistate analysis to study the order and timing in which different health conditions developed after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The analysis focused on hypertension, cardiovascular disease, end-stage renal disease and mental health.

What Happened

One of the key findings was the difference in mental health outcomes between men and women. Women with type 2 diabetes were more likely than men to develop a mental health condition after their diabetes diagnosis.

• The study, published in PLOS Medicine, followed 28,720 people who were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 2010 and 2020.

• Mental health conditions were recorded in 8.1% of women compared with 5.3% of men.

• Around 8.4% of men followed this trajectory compared with 5.3% of women.

Key Details

These included anxiety, depression and somatoform disorders. Men were more likely than women to follow a disease trajectory involving cardiovascular disease or end stage renal disease.

• The researchers also noted that differences in healthcare seeking and diagnosis could partly explain why mental health conditions were recorded more often among women.

• It was observational, meaning it can identify associations but cannot prove that type 2 diabetes directly caused the differences seen between men and women.

• Women may require greater attention to mental health, while men may benefit from earlier monitoring for cardiovascular and kidney complications.

Why It Matters

The study also found that men generally developed complications earlier than women. Women, in comparison, tended to experience the onset of complications later.

• The findings also point towards the potential value of sex specific approaches to diabetes care.

• The researchers said tracking the sequence and timing of complications could help identify people with type 2 diabetes who are at greater risk of developing serious health problems.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge