Type 2 diabetic women are not small type 2 diabetic men: Sex-and-gender differences in antidiabetic drugs

Many pieces of evidence have accumulated over time suggesting sex-and-gender differences in type 2 diabetes, the most relevant being the greater excess risk of cardiovascular diseases in women with diabetes than in men. Drugs available for the treatment of diabetes have, meanwhile, increased in number and effectiveness over the last 20 years. Nonetheless, overall metabolic control of diabetes continues to be suboptimal, with a clear further disadvantage for women. Moreover, old and new glucose-lowering drugs present some sex-and-gender differences, although women continue to be under-represented in all cardiovascular outcome trials testing their efficacy and protective effects. We conclude that pharmacology should wear gender glasses starting from preclinical research to overcome all these gender gaps.

Automated summary

Numerous pieces of evidence suggest that women with diabetes have a greater excess risk of cardiovascular diseases than men, and they are at a disadvantage in terms of metabolic control and treatment efficacy. Both old and new glucose-lowering drugs show some sex-and-gender differences, and there is under-representation of women in cardiovascular outcome trials. Pharmacology research should consider gender perspectives to bridge these gender gaps.