Judith G. Regensteiner, PhD
Director, Center for Women’s Health Research, Professor of Medicine, Divisions of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, University of Colorado Denver
Financial Disclosure: None
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, primarily due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in both women and men. Among nondiabetic individuals, absolute rates of CVD are higher in men than women at all ages (except the very old). However, in the presence of T2D, difference in absolute rates between sexes is substantially diminished (although not fully eliminated); some conclude that diabetes negates the premenopausal female advantage concerning cardiovascular outcomes. The reasons for the increase in CV risk in women with T2D is not clear, particularly in premenopausal women. The biological sex differences in CVD risk factors need to be better understood as well as the disparities that still exist in the recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of CVD in women vs men. Since both the sex and gender differences between men and women with T2D are not yet fully understood, future studies should be done to elucidate them. Large-scale epidemiological studies as well as small physiological studies are needed to further elucidate factors underlying the excess CVD risk in women compared to men with diabetes.