ISLAMABAD: Diabetes or “sugar” has been spreading rapidly around the world with recent medical reports highlighting a troubling trend, the disease is increasing at an alarming rate among women with far more serious health consequences compared to men.
While the main problem is the rise in the prevalence of the disease, the secondary problem is that the complications arising due to diabetes are having a very significant impact on women’s health. It seems that although fewer women have diabetes, the health effects arising due to the disease are extremely harmful for them.
Increasing Health Problems for Women Due to Diabetes
Recent studies show that women with diabetes are much more prone to develop cardiovascular disease, kidney disorders, depression, and hormonal imbalances than men. The risks of heart attacks for women with diabetes are 150%, while their male partners are at a risk of heart attack that is 50% more than theirs.
It has been suggested by health experts that the main reason behind the increased health risks in women is hormonal imbalances occurring in women because of factors such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
Contributing Lifestyle Factors
Apart from hormonal factors, another important aspect which contributes to the increase in the number of diabetes cases among women is lifestyle. Many experts suggest that some contributing factors including gaining weight around the abdomen, absence of physical activities, mental tension, genetics, and unhealthy diets have contributed to the increase in diabetes cases. More specifically, excessive consumption of processed and fast foods has been a major cause of the widespread disease.
Risk Factor: Gestational Diabetes
One more alarming factor is that of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is diagnosed during pregnancy; this condition usually ends after delivery. However, women with gestational diabetes tend to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. In fact, chances of developing type 2 diabetes become many times higher once gestational diabetes is identified.
Need to Take Precautionary Measures
The medical experts are now suggesting that women should take precautions for avoiding the risks of diabetes. This includes regularly getting health checked up, maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising on a regular basis. “Although diabetes is a silent killer, it’s also an extremely dangerous disease for women. Preventive measures will help avoid many serious health issues,” says Dr. Ashfaq, a medical expert.
