Archive · 7 Sep 2026
Diabetes Care Must Address Different Risks in Men and Women
Type 2 diabetes can cause many health problems, not just high blood sugar.
A study in England looked at nearly 30,000 people with the disease.
Men more often developed heart problems and severe kidney disease.
These problems also tended to happen earlier in men.
Women more often developed anxiety, depression and other mental-health conditions.
High blood pressure was the most common problem for everyone.
The researchers said that some differences in mental-health diagnoses may be linked to how readily people seek care.
Studies from India suggest that many people with diabetes also experience depression or anxiety.
This means diabetes care may need to look after both the body and the mind.
A PLOS Medicine study followed nearly 30,000 people with Type 2 diabetes in England from 2010 to 2020.
Men were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and end-stage kidney disease, often at an earlier stage.
Women were more likely to develop anxiety, depression and other mental-health conditions.
Hypertension was the most common complication across both sexes and all age groups.
Indian research indicates substantial mental-health burdens among people with diabetes, including depression and anxiety.
- Who
- Researchers studied nearly 30,000 people with Type 2 diabetes in England; the findings also discuss people with diabetes in India.
- What
- The research found different patterns of cardiovascular, kidney and mental-health complications among men and women with Type 2 diabetes.
- When
- The English study followed people diagnosed between 2010 and 2020; the cited Indian analyses were published in 2026 and earlier this year.
- Where
- England and India.
- Why
- The findings suggest that standard diabetes treatment focused on physical measures may miss differences in complication risks and mental-health needs.
- English study sample
- Nearly 30,000 people with Type 2 diabetes
- Study period
- 2010-2020
- Most common complication
- Hypertension across both sexes and all age groups
- Higher risks for men
- Cardiovascular disease and end-stage kidney disease, generally occurring earlier
- Higher risks for women
- Anxiety, depression and other mental-health conditions
- Diabetes in India
- More than 101 million people
- Prediabetes in India
- A further 136 million people
- Indian mental-health findings
- About 38% showed signs of depression, while roughly three in 10 were affected by anxiety