Diabetic women less likely to be given statins, study suggests

A WORRYING gender divide in the prescribing of life-saving statins to women with Type 2 diabetes has been uncovered by researchers.

An analysis of prescriptions shows that although women are more likely to have high blood pressure and choles- terol than men – putting them at greater risk of heart problems – they were less likely to receive medication.

Researchers from the University of Manchester believe healthcare workers fail to realise that risk of cardiovascular disease for diabetic women is not that much lower than that of men.

A study of 80,000 people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in England between 2006 and 2013 found that 11.6 per cent of women and 12.8 per cent of men went on to develop cardiovascular disease.

Yet women were 16 per cent less likely to receive cholesterol-lowering statins, and 26 per cent less likely to be given ACE inhibitors to help relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: “We need to make sure that everyone with Type 2 diabetes gets the best treatments and care, to reduce their risk of life-threatening cardiovascular complications like heart attack or stroke as much as possible.”

Researchers are worried that women are often not given statins or ACE inhibitors because they are less likely to present with chest pains if they have cardiovascular disease. Women are more likely to suffer nausea instead, which healthcare workers often do not automatically take to be a heart issue.

The new figures show that there are now almost 4.2 million people in Britain are living with Type 2 diabetes, just under half of whom are women.

Although the research found that the risk of women with Type 2 diabetes developing cardiovascular disease has fallen, many are still not getting lifesaving drugs.

This was despite the fact that women are more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Dr Martin Rutter, senior researcher at the University of Manchester, said: “Further research is now needed to understand the reasons for these prescribing differences between men and women and to find ways to close the gap.

“Research in primary care is particularly needed, as this is where most people with Type 2 diabetes are treated.”

The research was published in the journal Circulation.