Gender-related differences in cardiometabolic risk profile of Japanese patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND

In patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease is an important determinant of their prognosis. The aim of this study was to compare cardiometabolic risk factors in Japanese women and men with diabetes.

METHODS

The subjects were Japanese patients with diabetes, and age-matched female and male subject groups with the ratio of number of women to that of men being 1 to 2 were prepared (total number of subjects, 1,707; mean age, 53.8 years). Cardiometabolic risk factors were compared in women and men.

RESULTS

Waist-to-height ratio was significantly higher in the female group than in the male group, while body mass index was not significantly different in the two groups. Diastolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the female group than in the male group, while systolic blood pressure was not significantly different in the two groups. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and log-transformed triglycerides were significantly higher and lower, respectively, in the female group than in the male group. Log-transformed lipid accumulation product was significantly higher in the female group than in the male group. Odds ratios (with their 95% confidence intervals [95% CIs]) of gender (women vs. men) were 2.00 [95% CI: 1.48 to 2.69] for abdominal obesity, 1.48 [95% CI: 1.15 to 1.91]) for high pulse pressure, 1.48 [95% CI: 1.13 to 1.92] for high low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia, 1.77 [95% CI: 1.32 to 2.37] for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia, and 1.68 [95% CI: 1.28 to 2.21] for metabolic syndrome diagnosed by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Thus, women had significantly higher odds for these cardiovascular risk factors than did men.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that Japanese women with diabetes have a more adverse cardiometabolic profile than do men.