Cardiovascular disease in women with type 1 diabetes: a narrative review and insights from a population-based cohort analysis.

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality among people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), with cardiovascular mortality rates 2-5 times higher than in the general population. A concerning sex disparity exists within this high-risk population, as the cardioprotective advantage typically observed in women without diabetes appears attenuated or eliminated in individuals with T1D. This disparity is evident across the CVD spectrum, including coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, and cardiovascular mortality, with women consistently experiencing an excess burden of disease. These differences are particularly pronounced in women with early-onset T1D, leading to a substantial loss of life-years-approximately 18 years for women compared to 14 for men. Several factors may contribute to this sex disparity. First, the effect of hyperglycemia on CVD appears to have a sex-based differential impact and women with T1D often demonstrate more difficulties to achieve optimal glycemic control. Second, although women with T1D generally exhibit a more favorable CVD risk factor profile than men with T1D, the presence of hypertension, smoking or diabetic kidney disease seem to have a strong impact on CVD in women. Diabetes also appears to diminish sex-based differences in lipid metabolism, and a trend towards increased obesity rates among women with T1D has been observed. Lastly, female-specific factors, which are more prevalent in T1D, exacerbate cardiovascular risk. These include premature menopause, pregnancy-related disorders (such as preeclampsia), polycystic ovary syndrome, and autoimmune diseases, which disproportionately affect women. This narrative review examines the epidemiological evidence highlighting the aspects regarding the excess risk of CVD in women with T1D and evaluates sex disparities in both traditional and female-specific risk factors. Finally, we include a sex-based analysis from the Catalan Registry, which highlights the critical need for greater awareness and enhanced early detection and management of CVD risk factors in this population.