People living with type 2 diabetes are more likely to experience heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular conditions.
If you have diabetes, I’m sure you know the usual ways to lower your risk of heart problems: managing blood sugar to prevent blood vessel damage, controlling blood pressure, keeping your weight under control, and, of course, eating a healthy diet.
But have you ever considered that your gender could play a big part in your already elevated risk for heart disease?
This is especially true for men with type 2 diabetes. And research has zeroed in on a curious reason why…
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A surprising hormonal threat to men’s hearts
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University examined blood samples from participants in the Look Ahead study (a long-term project on weight loss and heart health in people with type 2 diabetes).
Their specific interest? Measuring sex hormones. Samples were taken at the start of the study and again after a year.
“We were able to see whether the changes in hormones affected their heart disease risk,” says lead researcher Dr. Wendy Bennett.
“We saw that there were differences in the male participants. If they had higher testosterone when they joined the study, they had a lower risk. If they had increases in estradiol levels after one year in the study, they also had a higher risk of heart disease.”
Estradiol is a potent form of the hormone estrogen. It is produced in small amounts in men.
In other words, changes in these hormones over time either raised or lowered the risk of heart disease in men with diabetes.
Among diabetic women, however, no such clear connection between sex hormones and heart disease was seen.
It’s possible, the researchers concluded, that sex hormones may influence heart disease risk depending on sex, or that there may be other factors involved in protecting female diabetics from heart disease.
“These results could help clinicians personalize heart disease prevention strategies in the future,” says Dr. Bennett.
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Estrogen dominance, diabetes and the male heart
Testosterone is known as a male hormone. But men also produce estrogen through the enzyme aromatase, which converts testosterone into estradiol.
Men under 40 usually have a balanced testosterone-to-estradiol ratio. But as men age, testosterone decreases and body fat increases — creating an environment in which estrogen levels rise.
When a man’s estrogen levels are too high in relation to his testosterone, this is known as estrogen dominance.
According to the American Diabetes Association, men with type 2 diabetes are already twice as likely to suffer from low T. So even a small rise in estrogen could lead to estrogen dominance.
To reduce the elevated risks to heart health posed by a hormone imbalance, men with type 2 diabetes might consider…
A low-calorie keto diet, which can help you take your weight down and your T levels way up, according to research presented by the European Congress of Endocrinology.
Avoid xenoestrogens. These are chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body and therefore contribute to estrogen dominance. They’re found in everyday items, such as plastics, personal care and household products, building supplies, pesticides and foods, especially takeout foods.
Eat cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. These foods contain a compound called Diindolemethane (DIM). DIM supports hormone balance by safely removing unwanted, artificial estrogens from the body.
Take up weight training. Men who do lower their risk for type 2 diabetes, increase testosterone, and have a better chance of avoiding estrogen dominance and living longer than those who don’t.
Sources:
Sex Hormones and Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes: Cohort Study of the LookAHEAD Trial — Diabetes Care
Why heart disease risk in type 2 diabetes looks different for men and women — Science Daily
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