Fact: Women with Diabetes at Risk for Developing Abnormal Heart Rhythms

Women with Diabetes at Risk for Developing Abnormal Heart Rhythms: A study of 17,000 patients with diabetes has shown women with diabetes are at an increased risk for developing abnormal heart rhythms. A new study conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, found an association with abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation for women with diabetes. The link was not significant for men with diabetes in this study. "This new study revealed that women were 26% more likely to develop atrial fibrillation if they had diabetes," says Lusiana Loman, MD, board certified, endocrinologist at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point and Community hospital. "This condition raises the risk for developing blood clots and stroke, and is therefore important to diagnose and treat. Procedures are available for regulating heart rhythm."