A MedUni Vienna study has investigated gender-specific differences in the diagnosis of systolic heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results, recently in the journal , show that the current methods are less reliable in women than in men. In view of the prevalence of heart disease, particularly in women with type 2 diabetes, it is recommended that gender aspects be taken into account in existing guidelines in order to ensure the best possible care for patients.
As part of the study, the scientific team led by gender medicine specialist Alexandra Kautzky-Willer from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism (Department of Medicine III), in collaboration with Martin Hülsmann and other colleagues from the Division of Cardiology (Department of Medicine II), analyzed data from 2,083 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) collected over a period of five years. Common methods and parameters for the diagnosis of systolic in T2D were analyzed, with a particular focus on gender-specific differences. T2D patients are up to four times more likely to have heart failure than people without T2D, with women more than twice as likely to be affected as men.
Despite the pathophysiological differences between men and women, which lead to different predispositions and courses of the disease, there are currently no gender-specific recommendations for the diagnosis of heart failure in patients with T2D. If symptoms are noted, the current guidelines recommend further investigations f.