A new study published in PLOS Medicine has found that type 2 diabetes may lead to different health complications in men and women. The findings suggest that doctors could improve long-term care through earlier monitoring and treatment plans tailored to patients’ needs.
The study followed 28,720 people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the UK between 2010 and 2020. Researchers analysed linked healthcare records over a median period of 6.8 years to understand how complications developed and in what order.
The researchers found that men were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and end-stage kidney disease, while women faced a higher risk of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression and somatoform disorders.
Women Face Higher Mental Health Risks
Mental health conditions were recorded in 8.1% of women with type 2 diabetes, compared with 5.3% of men. The findings highlight the importance of including mental health assessments in diabetes care, particularly for women.
In contrast, around 8.4% of men followed a disease pattern involving cardiovascular disease or end-stage kidney disease, compared with 5.3% of women. Men also tended to develop complications earlier than women.
High blood pressure was the most common complication in both groups. It affected 21.1% of men and 20.2% of women, underlining the importance of regular blood pressure checks for people living with diabetes.
Mental Health Linked to Earlier Death
The study also found that people who developed mental health conditions after their diabetes diagnosis faced a higher risk of earlier death. Among people following the same disease pattern, men died an average of nine years younger than women.
Researchers also observed that women generally used healthcare services more frequently and received more long-term prescriptions than men. Differences in healthcare access and help-seeking behaviour may partly explain some of the findings.
Personalised Diabetes Care Needed
The researchers suggest that tracking the timing and sequence of complications could help doctors identify high-risk patients earlier. Women may benefit from closer mental health monitoring, while men may need earlier checks for heart and kidney problems.
However, the study was observational and cannot prove that diabetes directly caused these differences. Variations in diagnosis and healthcare use may also have influenced the results.
Overall, the findings highlight the need for more personalised diabetes care to help prevent complications and improve long-term health outcomes.
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