Diabetes can be diagnosed in females of any age, and the number of cases in both male and female patients is on the rise. Diabetes presents different challenges at different stages of a woman’s life. Younger diabetic women may be more prone to recurrent yeast infections, nursing mothers may face new challenges avoiding low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and women after menopause may face seriously increased risks of heart disease, stroke or reduced mental sharpness. Therefore, diabetic women are urged to learn all they can about their condition at each stage of life and to make healthy lifestyle changes that have been recommended by their physician.
What should diabetic women know about heart disease?
More than 7 percent of American women have been diagnosed with diabetes. African-American women are more likely to develop diabetes than White Americans or African-American men. Diabetes is a risk factor for both heart disease and stroke. In fact, the American Heart Association reported that over 65 percent of diabetics die from cardiovascular disease. According to a 2000 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the increased risk may be due to the diabetics’ higher likelihood of developing blood clots. These blood clots could block the blood flow through a coronary artery (which supplies oxygen-rich blood to the heart); if the artery has already been narrowed by coronary artery disease, then a heart attack could result. Alternatively, the blood clots could block the blood flow through a cerebral artery (which supplies oxygen-rich blood to the brain); if the artery has been previously narrowed by carotid artery disease, then a stroke could result.
A 1998 study published in Diabetes Care investigated why diabetic women appear to be at such high risk for heart disease. The study revealed that diabetes seems to be linked to more cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic women than diabetic men. These risk factors include low HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and being overweight.
What are some general health tips for diabetic women?
- Unless you choose not to drink, moderate alcohol use may be good for your heart. A 2000 study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association suggested that women with type 2 diabetes could be able to cut their risk of heart disease by approximately 50 percent by having a drink or two per day. However, moderation is the key. Heavy alcohol use has been linked to breast cancer in some research studies.
- Discuss with your physician the risks and benefits of cholesterol reducing drugs. One 1998 study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that diabetics who took a type of cholesterol reducing drug (a statin) had significantly less risk of heart attack or need for procedures such as balloon angioplasty or bypass surgery.
- See your OB/GYN if you are experiencing unusually heavy or irregular periods, missing periods, or having trouble getting pregnant. These may be symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome, which appears to be more common among women who are diabetic than women without diabetes.
