Women And Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, an estimated 9.3 million women (8.7% of all women) over the age of 20 in the United States have diabetes, and one-third of them remain undiagnosed.

Diabetes is a unique condition for women. When compared with men, women have a 50 percent greater risk of diabetic coma, a condition brought on by poorly controlled diabetes and lack of insulin. Women with diabetes have heart disease rates similar to men, but more women with diabetes die from a first heart attack than do men with diabetes. According to the 2006 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists report, The State of Diabetes Complications in America, 7.7% of women with diabetes experienced congestive heart failure compared to 0.9% of those with normal blood sugar. The prevalence of chest pain, heart attack, and coronary heart disease were all 4 to 5% higher in women with diabetes than in women without, and 6.3% of women with diagnosed diabetes suffered stroke compared to 2.1% of women with normal blood sugar levels.

Diabetes also poses special challenges during pregnancy. Compared with women who don't have diabetes, women with diabetes are up to five times more likely to develop toxemia, a disorder marked by hypertension, protein in the urine, swelling, headache, and visual disturbances. Diabetes during pregnancy (gestational and type 1 diabetes) results in an increased risk for problems such as high birth weight, birth defects, and other complications for the mother. Children born of mothers who developed gestational diabetes are more likely to be overweight or obese during adolescence and therefore are at greater risk for diabetes as well. Women who have had gestational diabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes later.

Birth control pills can affect blood glucose levels and diabetes control. And because women with diabetes are already at higher risk of infection, most women with diabetes should not use an intrauterine device because it may lead to infections.

Do you have questions about your diabetes? Do you want to talk about the issues that women with diabetes are facing? Visit the dLife forum and check out the Women's Room for information, inspiration, and support!

Excerpted and adapted from FDA Consumer Magazine

Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 4/08