Women With Diabetes at Higher Stroke Risk Than Men

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of stroke in women, but not in men, according to research published online Feb. 24, 2014 in the journal Diabetologia.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 10,000 men and 19,000 women with type 2 diabetes and discovered that, as A1C levels (a measure of blood glucose) in women rose, so did their risk of stroke. Women with A1C levels of 8.0 to 8.9 percent were 19 percent more likely to have a stroke than women with normal A1C levels of 6.0 percent or lower; women with A1C levels of 9.0 to 9.9 percent were 32 percent more likely to have a stroke; and women with A1C levels above 10 percent were 42 percent more likely to have a stroke. Women age 55 and older had higher stroke risks than women younger than 55.

Several mechanisms that may account for the greater adverse effect that type 2 diabetes has on women, including longer life expectancy in women, higher blood pressure and lipid levels in women, and less aggressive treatment with cholesterol and blood pressure drugs for women.

These findings suggest that women with type 2 diabetes need to be particularly focused on keeping risk factors for stroke under better control by getting appropriate treatment for high blood pressure and cholesterol, engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and not smoking, along with achieving and maintaining lower A1C levels.

The post Women With Diabetes at Higher Stroke Risk Than Men appeared first on University Health News.

Read Original Article: Women With Diabetes at Higher Stroke Risk Than Men »

Powered by WPeMatico