What men should know about Type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of morbidity and the most common chronic endocrine disease. Similar to many other diseases, diabetes has a genetic predisposition, but it can be activated -or not- by an interplay of environmental factors. However, is diabetes more common in men or women? Is there anything you can do if you’ve been detected as a high-risk patient?
Find out what all men should know about type 2 diabetes and start treating this ailment right away with the best medicine available: prevention.
Gender differences in type 2 diabetes
Gender differences in people with diabetes result not only of genetics. There are also sex-related behaviors, and even psychological risk factors to consider.
One of the key factors to understand such a difference is body fat distribution. We know that females tend to accumulate more body fat in the glute-femoral area, which gives them a gynecoid shape. In contrast, males usually accumulate more fat in the trunk, and they have more visceral fat than women. This visceral fat is more dangerous for the cardiovascular system, increases our levels of blood lipids, and predisposes to type 2 diabetes.
Some behaviors in men and women predispose each one of them to different diseases.
Studies have shown that men are usually more physically active than women, but the latter makes more efforts to live a healthier life, consuming more fruits and vegetables and being more mindful around their weight. Alcohol and smoking are more common in male, and they both are included as risk factors to develop type 2 diabetes.
So, what should I do about it?
If you’re a man and you’re worried about your health, there’s much you can do before getting sick, and diabetes is not the exception. Even if you already have risk factors, and if you were diagnosed with insulin resistance, which is one step before diabetes, you can still do a lot to fix these problems.
First Things First
You need to do is avoiding all types of sedentary behavior and keep up being physically active. That is one advantage males have, and if you’re not physically active, it is completely lost. Physical activity improves insulin sensitivity. Which means the body becomes more efficient at storing glucose instead of keeping it in the bloodstream.
Then, be more mindful around your eating habits. Women are experts in this regard, and it is something we can also adopt to be healthier. You don’t always need to follow a type 2 diabetes diet. You would reduce your risks by following simple recommendations. Such as cutting off processed foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, and reducing your consumption of saturated fats.
Piece of advice
Remember type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease, which means it doesn’t appear all of a sudden. If you keep the habit of performing routine checks and following the instructions of your doctor. You will detect endocrine problems right away, and it will be easier to take care of them before they turn into a problem.
