Sex and gender differences in risk, pathophysiology and complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Sex and gender differences in risk, pathophysiology and complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Endocr Rev. 2016 May 9;:er20151137 Authors: Kautzky-Willer A, Harreiter J, Pacini G Abstract T2DM is more frequently diagnosed at lower age and body-mass-index in men, however the most prominent risk factor, which is obesity, is more common in women. Generally, large sex-ratio differences across countries are observed. Diversities in biology, culture, lifestyle, environment and socioeconomic status impact differences between males and females in predisposition, development and clinical presentation. Genetic effects and epigenetic mechanisms, nutritional factors and sedentary lifestyle affect risk and complications differently in both sexes. Furthermore, sex hormones have a great impact on energy metabolism, body composition, vascular function and inflammatory responses. Thus endocrine imbalances relate to unfavorable cardiometabolic traits, observable in women with androgen excess or men with hypogonadism. Both biological and psychosocial factors are responsible for sex and gender differences in diabetes risk and outcome. Overall psychosocial stress appears to have greater impact on women rather than on men. In addition, women have greater increases of cardiovascular risk, myocardial infarction and stroke mortality than men, compared to non-diabetic subjects. However when dialysis therapy is initiated, mortality is comparable in both ma...
Source: Endocrine Reviews - Category: Endocrinology Tags: Endocr Rev Source Type: research