A recent study published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice highlighted the importance of employing sex-specific approaches for the management of type 2 diabetes.

Recent studies suggest that a sex-based difference in the complications of T2D prevails, with women showing lower microvascular complications compared to men. The study aimed to understand the sex differences in developing non-vascular, microvascular, and macrovascular complications in T2D patients.

Researchers included 4,923 T2D patients. Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for mortality, macrovascular, non-vascular, and microvascular complications in women, compared to men.

Results showed that, when compared to men, the risk of all-cause death was significantly lower in women (multivariable-adjusted HR 0.61). There was a 50% and a 42% reduced risk of major macrovascular events and cancer in women compared to men. However, women showed a greater fracture risk than men (HR 2.04). Microvascular events showed no significant sex differences (HR 1.05). An increase in the absolute risk difference between sexes was seen with age, mainly for fracture and cancer.