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Newswise Widely used treatments for type 2 diabetes have different effects on the hearts of men and women, even as the drugs control blood sugar equally well in both sexes, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

In particular, the commonly prescribed diabetes drug metformin had positive effects on heart function in women but not in men, who experienced a shift in metabolism thought to increase the risk of heart failure.

We saw dramatic sex differences in how the heart responds to the different therapies, said senior author Robert J. Gropler, MD, professor of radiology. Our study suggests that we need to better define which therapies are optimal for women with diabetes and which ones are optimal for men.

The study appears in the December issue of the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

To the researchers knowledge, this is the first study to investigate sex differences in the hearts response to diabetes treatments. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas continues to make insulin, but the body cant use it effectively to move glucose out of the blood and into the tissues. And for reasons that are not entirely clear, patients with diabetes are at higher risk for heart failure.

It is imperative that we gain understanding of diabetes medications and their impact on the heart in order to design optimal treatment regimens for patients, said Janet B. McGill, MD, professor of medicine and a study co-author who sees patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. This study is a step in that direction.

The investigators evaluated commonly prescribed diabetes drugs in 78 patients, who were assigned to one of three groups. Under McGills supervision, the first group received metformin alone; the second received metformin plus rosiglitazone (Avandia); and the third received metformin plus Lovaza, which is a kind of fish oil.

Metformin reduces glucose production by the liver and helps the body become more sensitive to insulin. Rosiglitazone also improves insulin sensitivity and is known to move free fatty acids out of the blood. Lovaza is prescribed to lower blood levels of triglycerides, another type of fat.

Link:
Diabetes Drugs Affect Hearts of Men, Women Differently