Sex-specific differences in diabetes prevention: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS:

In people with prediabetes, lifestyle interventions and glucose-lowering medications are effective in preventing the progression to type 2 diabetes. It is unclear whether differences in treatment effects between men and women need to be taken into consideration when choosing a preventive strategy for an individual person.

METHODS:

We systematically searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and reference lists of pertinent review articles from 1980 to June 2013. We conducted random effects meta-analyses of published and unpublished data to determine differences of treatment effects between men and women.

RESULTS:

Twelve randomised control trials (RCTs) provided sex-specific information on treatment effects. Compared with usual care, men and women who received lifestyle interventions had a lower rate of progression to type 2 diabetes (RR 0.60 [95% CI 0.35, 1.05] after 1 year; RR 0.63 [95% CI 0.51, 0.79] after 3 years); greater weight reduction (-2.45 kg; [95% CI -3.56, -1.33 kg] after 3 years); and greater reductions of fasting plasma glucose (-0.31 mmol/l [95% CI -0.48, -0.15] after 3 years) and 2 h post-challenge-glucose (-0.68 mmol/l [95% CI -1.03, -0.34] after 3 years). No statistically significant differences in treatment effects between men and women were apparent for any outcomes (p values of all comparisons ≥ 0.09).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION:

Our study emphasises the importance of preventive interventions in people with prediabetes and indicates no differences of beneficial preventive effects on the incidence of type 2 diabetes and weight gain between men and women.

• Authors: Anna Glechner, Jürgen Harreiter, Gerald Gartlehner, Sonja Rohleder, Alexander Kautzky, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Megan Van Noord, Angela Kaminski-Hartenthaler, Alexandra Kautzky-Willer
• Journal: Diabetologia (Diabetologia) Vol. 58 Issue 2 Pg. 242-54 (Feb 2015) ISSN: 1432-0428 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 25465437 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review, Systematic Review)

Chemical References

• Hypoglycemic Agents
• Metformin

Topics

• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 (epidemiology, prevention & control)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Humans
• Hypoglycemic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Metformin (therapeutic use)
• Prediabetic State (epidemiology, prevention & control)
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Risk Reduction Behavior
• Sex Factors
• Weight Loss