女性糖尿病患者可能情况更严重

Between men and women, diabetes doesn't always play fair. Both sexes are just as likely to develop the disease. But science shows that women may fare worse once they have it, particularly in terms of heart health.

Diabetes and the heart

In the journal Diabetes Care, researchers reviewed 10 years' worth of health records for nearly 74,000 people. Some had diabetes, and others did not. Their results showed the differences diabetes poses for men and women. Overall, women with diabetes were more likely to die earlier than men with the disease. They also suffered more heart-related problems and were more likely to need hospitalization for them.

Heart disease is a serious complication of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, it's the leading cause of death for women with diabetes. That may be because women are often diagnosed with diabetes later in life. They may also have other conditions that have already damaged their hearts, including high cholesterol and excess body fat.

Women who have diabetes may not always receive treatment for heart-related problems. That's the conclusion of one past study of more than 4,800 people with the disease-nearly half of whom were women. Female participants tended to have higher cholesterol levels, compared with men. But their blood fat levels weren't checked as often. Plus, women were less likely to be on a statin-a drug that lowers cholesterol.

Beyond the heart

The risk for heart disease isn't the only difference between men and women with diabetes. Hormones-particularly estrogen and progesterone-can play a role in managing the disease. Fluctuating hormone levels in a woman's body can throw off blood sugar levels. As a result, some women may find it harder to control their diabetes the week before and during their period.

Menopause has a similar effect. As a woman grows older, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone. This drop in hormones may cause unstable blood sugar levels. In turn, that can worsen symptoms of menopause. Women with diabetes may suffer more bouts of mood swings, hot flashes, sleep problems, and fatigue.

Women with diabetes must take special care if they become pregnant, too. As with menopause, hormone levels can change constantly during pregnancy. Blood sugar levels can spike and crash much more often. To help protect the baby from health problems and an early birth, pregnant women need to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

Hormones aside, diabetes may harm women more than men in other ways. Women with the disease are prone to urinary problems and recurrent yeast infections. Diabetes may also affect the brain. A small study compared the brains of men and women with diabetes. Brain scans showed that women suffered more changes in the area of the brain that manages memory and mood.

Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.

在男人和女人之间，糖尿病并不公平。虽然男性和女性都有可能患上糖尿病，但科学研究显示，一旦女性患有糖尿病，情况可能更糟糕，尤其在心脏健康方面。《糖尿病医疗》的调查数据证明女性糖尿病患者的死亡年龄普遍低于男性患者。她们患上心脏疾病并因此入院的风险也更大。心脏疾病是糖尿病的并发症，也是女性糖尿病患者死亡的主要原因。但心脏疾病风险并不是男性女性患者间的唯一区别，雌性激素和孕激素可以使女性体内的血糖飙升，因此一些女性可能在经期前后很难控制血糖值。而随着女性进入更年期，体内荷尔蒙的骤减会使体内血糖值失去平衡。在女性怀孕期间，体内荷尔蒙持续发生变化，血糖水平也会随之攀升或骤降。另外，糖尿病还容易造成女性泌尿系统疾病和真菌感染。

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