When we talk about diabetes, do we think about what role sex plays in it? Today, let us all lift the veil of “gender’s impact on diabetes” and look at the different situations of men and women in the “health battle” of diabetes.
Let’s start with male friends. In the “fields of battle” of diabetes, men appear to be facing special “points of attack”. First and foremost is the problem of living habits. Many men are in love with tobacco and alcohol, and harmful substances in cigarettes destroy the health of the blood vessels, making the vascular walls coarse and less resilient. As a result, the blood cycle has been blocked and the regulation of blood sugar has been disrupted. The chronic high consumption of alcohol interferes with normal work order in the liver, which is supposed to be a “hard helper” to maintain blood sugar stability, but which is diverted by alcohol to prevent effective regulation of blood sugar levels, thus posing a risk for the invasion of diabetes. Moreover, men are under greater stress at work and are in a chronic state of stress. Under this high pressure, the body is able to produce a large amount of stress hormones, such as cortisol. These hormones contribute to increased blood sugar to provide more energy to cope with stress. But if the pressure continues, the blood sugar will be like a detached Mustang, high and long-term, and diabetes may come in.
Women also have their own “unique experience” with diabetes. Women’s biological cycles are like a wonderful hormonal trip. During the menstruation cycle, hormonal levels are constantly changing, and this hormonal volatility is likely to weaken insulin and lead to a slight increase in blood sugar. By the time of pregnancy, the woman’s body was undergoing great change. The placenta circulates some hormones that interfere with the normal work of insulin, causing physical resistance to insulin, known as gestational diabetes. Lack of attention to dietary and blood sugar monitoring during pregnancy may not only affect the health of the pregnant woman herself, but may also have adverse effects on the foetus, such as large children and low blood sugar for newborns. After the menopause, estrogen levels fell sharply in women. Estrogen could have contributed to insulin inoculation and insulin sensitivity, and the reduction of estrogen would have made it easier to lose control of blood sugar and increase the risk of diabetes.
However, neither men nor women are “necessary victims” of diabetes. As long as we have the right “defence strategy”, we can effectively reduce the risk of disease. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key, balancing diets, eating more vegetables and fruits, and reducing intake of high sugar and fat foods; maintaining the right amount of exercise to keep the body alive; learning to reduce pressure in order to avoid chronic anxiety; and conducting periodic medical examinations, particularly blood sugar tests, to detect problems and take measures in a timely manner. Although gender has a different impact on the onset of diabetes, a healthy concept of life and active preventive measures are the powerful weapons we have to overcome it. Let us break the limitations of gender differences and move together towards a healthy future.
