Personalized Diabetes Management Effective For Women But Not Men

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Marlene Øhrberg Krag , MD, MIH

Department of Public Health
University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Medical Research: What is the background for this study?

Dr. Krag: In this follow-up study we wanted to assess whether there was any difference in longterm treatment outcome of personally tailored diabetes care when comparing men and women.

The “Diabetes Care in General Practice” trial included people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Patients were randomized to receive 6 years of either routine care or personally tailored care with regular follow-up, individualized treatment goal setting and continuing education of the participant general practitioners.

Medical Research: What are the main findings?

Dr. Krag: Following up the patients for 13 years after 6 years of intervention a significant reduction in all cause mortality and diabetes related death was seen for women but not men. This difference could not be explained by intermediate outcomes like HgbA1c alone, and is suggested to be based on a complex of biological, social and cultural issues of gender . Women accept disease and implement disease management more easily than men, whereas men may feel challenged by diabetes, demanding daily consideration and lifestyle changes. Furthermore the study provided attention and support, which the women reported they lack and this could provide an incentive to treatment adherence.


Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Krag: There is a need to consider gender when providing personalized treatment to obtain positive treatment outcomes for both gendesr.

Medical Research:  What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Krag: There is a need to explore the gender specific effects of other major intervention trials and to investigate what treatment schemes will provide men equal positive treatment outcomes as we have seen in women.

For the full article see: http://www.diabetologia-journal.org/files/Krag.pdf

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Citation:

Diabetologia First online:

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Marlene Øhrberg Krag , MD, MIH (2015). Personalized Diabetes Management Effective For Women But Not Men 

Last Updated on November 27, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD