Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by persistently elevated blood glucose levels. As with many other diseases, a variety of biological variables influence initiation, course, and the risk of consequences or comorbidities. Age, family history, hormone levels, nutrition, and gender are all biological influences. Today’s focus will be on the role of gender in diabetes.

According to research, Type 1 diabetes is more common in males than in women of the same age, and men are more likely to pass the disease on to their children. Type 2 diabetes is also more prevalent in men, particularly in early middle age, although women are more likely to pass Type 2 diabetes onto their offspring.

According to studies, men are more likely than women to have diabetes. Men are also more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes than women, therefore the disease develops earlier in men. One reason is because males tend to store more fat in their stomachs, which is a known risk factor. Furthermore, more men than women have undetected diabetes, possibly because they believe it is “better to not know” or “something must kill a man” or “don’t want to hear bad news.” Because of differences in insulin sensitivity between men and women, a man with obesity is more likely to develop obesity-related hazards (diabetes, hypertension) than a woman with a same Body Mass Index.

Insulin sensitivity patterns differ between males and women. For the convenience of the reader, insulin sensitivity is the rate at which the body cells use insulin and respond to it. A high insulin sensitivity indicates that body cells respond effectively to insulin and absorb glucose from the bloodstream. A low insulin sensitivity, on the other hand, indicates a slow response to insulin, allowing glucose to remain in the circulation and raising the risk of hyperglycemia (high glucose levels), and hence diabetes.
Fat deposition, hormone levels, and lifestyle choices all have an impact on insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity varies between men and women, but it is determined by fat deposition and hormones. Men tend to have more fat deposited on their internal organs, particularly those in the belly (liver and pancreas), making them appear thinner, whereas women have more fat deposited in subcutaneous tissues and peripherally on their bodies, resulting in a more bulkier body mass.

Diabetes complications can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor glycemic control, sedentary lifestyle choices combined with alcohol consumption, smoking, and noncompliance with a healthy eating program. Commonly afflicted organs include the kidneys, heart, brain, eyes, and extremities (hands and feet).

Although men are more likely to get diabetes (due to lifestyle choices and visceral fat mass), research has indicated that women are more likely to suffer from diabetes complications. This is most likely due to high blood glucose levels, which reduce the protective impact of oestrogen, a female hormone that helps the body resist insulin. Women’s risk of diabetes problems increases dramatically with age owing to menopause. During menopause, oestrogen levels drop dramatically, leaving women vulnerable to the effects of hyperglycemia and increasing their risk of diabetes complications such as stroke, arm and leg discomfort caused by clogged arteries, vascular diseases, kidney diseases, and heart disease.

Heart and vascular disorders, in particular, have been shown to impact women far more than men, and to be more fatal in women.
The causes for the increased impact of diabetes-related heart disease on women are unclear. However, some hypotheses propose that this occurs because women are more resistive or unresponsive to the effects of heart-disease medications than men.

Depression, which is more common in women than in males, also raises the likelihood of diabetes worsening by around 50%, influencing the rate at which women are impacted by diabetes and acquire diabetic complications. Although the facts generally show that women are more impacted by diabetes than men, another set of lifestyle factors come into play. Women are reportedly more meticulously concerned with their health than men.

They are more likely to adhere to the doctor’s recommendations and consume less alcohol and tobacco. This introduces another element, as it is well recognized that poor glycemic control, alcohol consumption, and smoking exacerbate the effects of diabetes and raise the risk of diabetic complications.

However, whether you are male or female, you should consult with a healthcare practitioner to ensure that your glucose levels are under control. Adhering to positive lifestyle changes can also assist to mitigate the effects of diabetes on your health.