Women's Diabetes
Risk Factors for Type 1 Diabetes:
- Developed in childhood, often genetic
- Higher risk if a parent or sibling has the condition
- Living in a cold climate may increase risk
Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Women:
- Age 45 or older
- Overweight or obese
- Family history of diabetes
- Ethnicity: African American, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander
- Previous gestational diabetes or baby with a birth weight over 9 pounds
- High blood pressure or high cholesterol
- Physical inactivity (less than three times a week)
- PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
- History of heart disease or stroke
Factors Affecting Diabetes Risk Disparities:
- Biological factors like weight status and fat deposits
- Lack of healthcare access
- Inequities in healthcare
- Socioeconomic status and social determinants of health
- Cultural attitudes and behaviors toward diabetes prevention
Cardiovascular Risk in Women with Diabetes:
- significantly increases cardiovascular risk
- Premenopausal diabetic women face earlier cardiovascular risk than non-diabetic women
- diminishes the cardiovascular protection usually provided by estrogen
How Diabetes Raises Heart Disease Risk:
- Blood glucose concentration affects cardiovascular risk
- Hemoglobin A1C test measures blood sugar levels over three months
- Diabetes impacts both large and small blood vessels
- Effects include glycosylation of blood proteins, clumping of LDL cholesterol, fatty acid production, and inflammation leading to atherosclerosis.
