Men & Diabetes
Diabetes-Related Problems in Men
Men with diabetes suffer more from some diabetes-related health problems than women. The American Diabetes Association reports that:
In people who develop diabetes before the age of 30, men develop retinopathy (a vision disorder that can lead to blindness) more quickly than women.
Having the main symptoms of peripheral vascular disease - pain in the thigh, calf, or buttocks during exercise; cramps; change in temperature; sores that don't heal, swelling - is linked to a two- to three-fold increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or cardiac failure in men with diabetes.
Amputation rates from diabetes-related problems are 1.4 to 2.7 times higher in men than women with diabetes. Partially excerpted from "What Do You Know about Men's Health? Diabetes in Men" from the National Women's Health Information Center.Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 4/08