A recent study by MedUni Vienna has uncovered a significant issue in diagnosing heart failure in women with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
The research, published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology, reveals that current diagnostic methods are less reliable for women compared to men.
This finding is crucial given that heart disease is particularly common in women with T2D. The study suggests that to provide the best care, medical guidelines should consider gender differences.
Led by gender medicine specialist Alexandra Kautzky-Willer and cardiology expert Martin Hülsmann, the research team analyzed data from 2,083 T2D patients over five years.
They focused on common methods and parameters used to diagnose systolic heart failure, paying special attention to differences between men and women.
The study found that T2D patients are up to four times more likely to suffer from heart failure than those without T2D. Women with T2D are more than twice as likely to develop heart failure compared to men.
Despite these differences, current guidelines do not offer gender-specific recommendations for diagnosing heart failure in T2D patients.
Typically, when symptoms of heart failure are noticed, further tests are recommended for both men and women. These tests include measuring NT-proBNP levels in the blood and performing an echocardiogram (a heart ultrasound).
Doctors then use the NYHA classification system to determine the severity of symptoms and decide on treatment strategies.
However, the study showed that this standardized approach does not adequately address the needs of female T2D patients. In men, higher NYHA grades (indicating reduced exercise capacity) were linked to higher NT-proBNP levels, more frequent heart failure diagnoses, and a higher risk of death.
This correlation was not found in women. Interestingly, NT-proBNP levels were significant markers for heart failure in both sexes but were especially reliable for women, who often showed no symptoms despite having heart failure.
“Our results suggest that reduced exercise performance may not be suitable for screening heart failure in women with T2D,” said Sarah Hofer-Zeni, the study’s first author. “However, NT-proBNP values can be very sensitive and early markers of heart failure, especially in women. Early diagnosis and treatment with new, effective drugs are essential for the prognosis of T2D patients.”
The research team emphasizes the need for heart failure screening in women with T2D that relies more on biomarkers like NT-proBNP rather than symptoms. They also call for gender-specific guidelines to improve diagnosis and treatment for these patients.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
