Disparity in management of diabetes and coronary heart disease risk factors by sex in DCCT/EDIC

Diabet. Med. 27, 451–458 (2010) Aims  Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Sex disparity in the treatment of modifiable CHD risk factors in patients with Type 2 diabetes has been reported previously; however, there is little comparable information in Type 1 diabetes. Methods  We performed a cross‐sectional analysis of 1153 subjects with Type 1 diabetes in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) cohort to compare achievement of metabolic and CHD risk factor goals and use of recommended risk factor interventions between the sexes. Results  Women were less likely than men to achieve glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)  3.4 mmol/l (39% vs. 60%, P < 0.05). Conclusions  In Type 1 diabetes, women report lower frequency than men in the use of interventions that decrease CHD risk. These findings are consistent with reports in the Type 2 diabetic population, showing that risk‐reducing measures are underused in women with diabetes.