- Researchers suggest lowering the threshold for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis in women under 50 might be more accurate.
- They say that women are less likely to receive treatment, risk-reduction interventions, and medication such as statins, aspirin, and beta blockers than men.
- Diabetes affects more than 37 million people in the United States.
It may be prudent to lower the threshold for diagnosing type 2 diabetes for women under 50, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
Dr. Adrian Heald, a study author and a consulting physician at East Cheshire NHS Trust in the United Kingdom, explains that natural blood loss through menstruation can affect blood sugar levels in women.
In this study, the researchers looked at whether a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in women could be attributed to glycated hemoglobin, HbA1c, levels due to hemoglobin replacement linked to menstrual blood loss.
The scientists theorize that red blood cell survival is shorter for menstruating women. However, a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is currently based on HbA1c, regardless of age or sex.
The researchers suggest that a slightly lower point for type 2 diabetes for premenopausal women may be appropriate.
They said blood replacement during menstruation could result in missed diagnoses and opportunities for interventions.
The researchers examined HbA1c testing across seven United KIngdom laboratory sites.
They assessed the sex and age differences of those who underwent a single test, had not been diagnosed with diabetes and had an HbA1c of equal to or less than 50 mmol/mol. An HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol is recommended as the cutoff point for diagnosing diabetes.
“This is equal to 6.5 A1C, which is consistent with a diagnosis of diabetes. The authors are suggesting that we reduce this to 6.4 A1C for premenopausal women,” Dr. Caroline Messer, an endocrinologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who was not involved in the study, told…
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