UQ public health study finds type 1 diabetes more risky for women than men

Type 1 diabetes is much more deadly for women than men, a study of more than 200,000 people with the condition has found.
UQ School of Public Health research has shown that women with type 1 diabetes have a 40 per cent increased risk of death from any cause and that they have more than twice the risk of dying from heart disease compared with men with this type of diabetes.

Study leader Professor Rachel Huxley said the marked difference between the genders could change how women with type 1 diabetes were treated and managed.
“It is speculated that women with type 1 diabetes tend to have greater difficulties with insulin management and glycaemic control than men—factors that could contribute to their increased risk of heart disease,” Professor Huxley said. “However, more research is needed to determine why the disease poses a greater risk to women than men.”
Professor Huxley said the study findings were based on an analysis of data from 26 studies involving more than 200,000 men and women with type 1 diabetes.
“We already knew that people with type 1 diabetes have shorter life expectancies than the general population, but this study was able to determine for the first time that the risk of mortality is greater in women than men with the disease,” she said.
The UQ School of Public Health professor said the study also found that women with type 1 diabetes were at greater risk of strokes and were 44 per cent more likely to die from kidney disease than men.
“Interestingly, however, type 1 diabetes was not linked to an increased risk of death from cancers in either gender,” she said.
Type 1 diabetes is on the rise. Worldwide, the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children aged 14 years and younger has increased by three per cent every year since 1989.
Australia has one of the highest rates of type 1 diabetes in the world and its incidence is increasing. There are more than 120,000 Australians living with type 1 diabetes, and about 1825 Australians are diagnosed with the disease every year.

About the Master of Public Health program at the University of Queensland

The Master of Public Health program prepares health professionals from a broad range of backgrounds, with knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines, to define, critically assess and resolve public health and nutrition problems. Various fields of study allow students to focus on Australian public health issues or on international public health, including nutrition and tropical health in the Asia Pacific region.
Program: Master of Public Health
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Semester intakes: February and July
Duration: 1.5 years
Application deadline: May 31, 2015 for July 2015 intake; November 1, 2015 for the February 2016 intake; however, it is strongly recommended that applicants apply as early as possible to allow time for visa and travel arrangements.

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If you have any questions about the Master of Public Health program at the UQ School of Public Health, please contact OzTREKK’s Australian Public Health Schools Admissions Officer Rachel Brady at rachel@oztrekk.com or call toll free in Canada at 1-866-698-7355.