A global study of 12 million people has found that diabetes increases the risk of heart failure and this increase is greater for women than men. Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health headquartered in Australia determined that this differential was greater in type 1 than type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is associated with a 47% excess risk of heart failure in women compared to men, while type 2 diabetes has a 9% higher excess risk of heart failure for women than men. The findings published on online on July 18, 2019 (see article link below) and in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]) highlights the need for further sex-specific research into diabetes and how the condition can potentially contribute to heart complications. The article is titled “Diabetes As a Risk Factor for Heart Failure in Women and Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 47 Cohorts Including 12 Million Individuals.” According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), currently 415 million adults world-wide live with diabetes - with approximately 199 million of them being women. The IDF expects by the year 2040 approximately 313 million women will be suffering from the disease. Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women and claims 2.1 million female lives every year, more so than men. The number one leading cause of death for women is heart disease. "It is already known that diabetes puts you at greater risk of developing heart failure, but what our study shows, for the first time, is that women are at far greater risk - for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes," said lead author and research fellow Dr Toshiaki Ohkuma from The George Institute.Login Or Register To Read Full Story