Researchers found that men have higher chances of dying from diabetes compared to women. The men's stubbornness and 'macho factor' keep them from following exercise, diet and lifestyle recommendations designed to fight the illness.
The researchers also found that women who were given tailor-fit treatment strategies have 30 percent reduced diabetes-related mortality risk and 26 percent reduced all causes-related risk compared to women given routine treatment.
Health expert Dr. Marlene Krag from University of Copenhagen explained that the specialized care give female patients the support and attention they need to obey the treatment plans designed for them. Krag added that women are more accepting when it comes to implementation of disease management. This kind of attitude contribute to long-term results.
Men, on the other hand, find lifestyle and diet changes designed to battle diabetes challenge their manliness. This is seen as a form of stubbornness on the men's part.
In the previous study, the Diabetes Care in General Practice trial in Denmark imposed a specific personal care intervention among newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients between 1989 and 1995. The patients were divided into two groups. Doctors who handled the intervention group educated their patients how vital physical activity and diet are to their treatment.
The doctors also delayed the use of diabetes drugs until post-assessment of exercise and diet regimen. Individual targets were also given to the patients and were assessed every quarter. Patients in the routine care group followed the normal treatment as prescribed by their doctors. After six years, researchers found that tailor-fit care reduced glycated hemoglobin among female patients.
In the latest study, researched conducted a 13-year follow-up of the patients involved in the original study. From the original 1,381 patients, 970 survived: 492 men and 478 women.
The findings revealed that female diabetes patients have a 41 percent reduced risk in stroke-related incidents as well as a 35 reduced risk in diabetes-related conditions such as blindness or amputations. The same reduced risks were not seen in male patients.
"We propose that the improved outcomes in women may be explained by complex social and cultural issues of gender," the researchers wrote. The results suggest the necessity to analyze the specific effects of intervention trials conducted across genders. This could lead to a review and improvement on how doctors provide gender-specific treatment and lifestyle changes so both sexes can take advantage of the treatment efforts.
The study was published in the journal Diabetologia Nov. 26.
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