Male or Female?

[drvoles]

I wonder whether they were commenting in respect of maturity and independence.
I would probably argue that girls become more independent sooner than boys, and thus could take control of their diabetes sooner.

On the other hand, I disagree.
Body image is potentially more important to girls. Diabulimia, hormone changes affecting glucose levels, pregnancy. Yea... I'd say it's harder for girls.

Not that it's easy for us blokes either... Just perhaps not as difficult.

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[Riesenburg]

I personally think it's bloody hard for both genders. Diabetes is just not a pleasant thing to have by any stretch of the imagination.

However it does indeed effect men and women differently mostly due to the homonal responses in both genders. Women tend to suffer less long term damage to their brains and cognitive impact of diabetes seems to be less accute. When hormonal peaks happen once a month things do in some cases get a bit chaotic and sugars tend to rise but this settles back down. I don't know much about pregnancy so can't comment.

Men on the other hand have greater hormonal disruptions, our testosterone production is inhibited and our growth hormone production (which protects the brain from damage) is much lower than in women. So it tends to hit us harder post early 20s when things naturally take a downturn. It is important to note that testosterone levels affect insulin sensitivity so the lower the testosterone the more insulin we tend to need (so to all of us chaps, gym gym gym!!!).

Also both genders react differently to the spikes during hypos and hypers, cannot really argue one is better off than the other but we are getting research pointing at the problems with disrupted hormonal and neurotransmitter functions. This again seems to point (and htis is all very early stage research at the moment since the area is heavily under-researched) that men tend to be hit harder.

Hope that helps, sorry I can only point out the main brain and hormone effects I'm not too sure about how far reaching these differences are for the rest of the body. But it is key to keep in mind that hormonal disruptions effect both genders!

But all in all, diabetes is not something trival for either gender.

 

[Thundercat]

It is true that women have the added difficulty with monthly hormones and pregnancy but as diabetes affects everyone differently it is equally difficult for men and women in my opinion

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