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Women, men may respond differently to drugs for diabetes, lipids, BP
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The response to medications prescribed to treat diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia may differ by sex, according to research published in the International Journal of Endocrinology.
Despite receiving similarly aggressive treatment in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation in Type 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial, women met targets for HbA1c and LDL cholesterol less frequently compared with men.
“As we strive to decrease the percentage of both women and men with type 2 diabetes who die from cardiovascular disease, further studies are needed to investigate sex-specific factors that may impact targeted management of risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” the researchers wrote.
Michelle F. Magee, MD, of the MedStar Health Research Institute, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and colleagues from other institutions assessed sex differences in pharmacotherapy approaches and ability to reach HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol goals in 2,321 patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.
Women (n = 686; mean age, 62.9 years) and men (n = 1,635; mean age, 62.2 years) were prescribed similar numbers of drugs; however, women were less frequently treated with metformin or sulfonylureas and more likely to take insulin and higher doses of statins.
Women were less likely to reach goals for HbA1c (OR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.88) and LDL cholesterol (OR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.53-0.78), with adjustments for baseline differences and treatment type.
Although more antihypertensive drugs were prescribed to women than men, BP rates at or less than 130 mm Hg/80 mm Hg did not vary by sex.
“These findings suggest that sex differences in attaining clinical targets cannot be explained solely by sex bias in drug prescribing practices,” the researchers wrote. “Other variables such as differences in medication adherence or differences in therapeutic responses to agents used for secondary cardiovascular disease prevention among women compared to men must be considered.” – by Allegra Tiver
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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