A number of studies have reported on characteristics of chronically ill patients, including those with diabetes. Gucciardi and coworkers looked to determine whether men and women with type 2 diabetes have different psychosocial, behavioral, and clinical characteristics at the time of their initial visit to a diabetes education center. A questionnaire on psychosocial and behavioral characteristics was administered at participants' first appointments. Participants were 275 men and women with type 2 diabetes recruited at two-diabetes education centers in the greater Toronto area. Women were more likely to have a family history of diabetes, previous diabetes education, and higher expectations of the benefits of self-management. Women also reported higher levels of social support from their diabetes health care team than did men, and had more depressive symptoms, higher body mass, and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than men.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU: The authors suggested that the results of this study provide evidence that diabetes prevention, care, and education need to be targeted to men and women differently. Primary care providers should encourage men to attend diabetes self-management education sessions and emphasize the benefits of self-care. Primary care providers should promote regular diabetes screening and primary prevention to women, particularly women with a family history of diabetes or a high body mass index; emphasize the importance of weight management for those with and without diabetes; and screen diabetic women for depressive symptoms. We concur with these conclusions with the exception that only men need self-management training to manage diabetes; all patients with the disease require such training.

E Gucciardi et al. Characteristics of men and women with diabetes: observations during patients' initial visit to a diabetes education centre. Canadian Family Physician, 2008;54:219-227.