Did you know: men are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women. How else does diabetes differ between the sexes?

Key Difference of Diabetes in Men & Women: Weight Gain

Research has shown that men are biologically more susceptible and need to gain far less weight than women to develop the condition, one report says. In this study of 95k+ men & women with diabetes, at the time of their diagnosis, men were diagnosed with type 2 at a lower BMI than women.

Man jogging

Key Difference of Diabetes in Men & Women: Body Shape

While diet, exercise, and body weight are the most important risk factors of developing diabetes, another surprising factor is body shape.It is thought that men store fat closer to their organs (aka apple-shaped body) than women, who tend to store fat under the skin (aka pear-shaped body). Apple-shaped bodies are less sensitive to insulin, which can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.

Apple and pear

The new research leads to some interesting discoveries about the differences between men and women and their diabetes. Below are some of our findings.

Important Facts About Women and Diabetes

  • Women tend to have lower rates of heart disease, in general.
  • Diabetes increases the risk for heart disease six times for women.
  • Women with diabetes have a higher risk for kidney disease.

Important Facts About Men and Diabetes

  • Diabetes increases the risk for heart disease two- to three-fold for men.
  • Men with diabetes are much more likely than those without to develop erectile dysfunction.
  • Age is typically not a variable for men and diabetes. Studies show BMI is the main factor.

Man and woman happy smiling

Summary

It is important to know the differences between men and women and their diabetes so you can know your risk factors. Though some of the symptoms and causes will be similar, there are major distinctions.