In the years following a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, women face a significantly higher risk of developing mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression compared to men, according to a study published on August 25, 2026, in the journal PLOS Medicine. Led by Fabiola Eto from Queen Mary University of London and colleagues, the observational research examined anonymised health records from 28,720 individuals in the UK who developed type 2 diabetes between 2010 and 2020.
New Study Reveals Diverging Health Risks for Men and Women with Type 2 Diabetes
The study found that 39% of participants experienced at least one significant health event in the years following their diagnosis, but the trajectory and timing of these complications differed notably by sex. Men made up 62% of the study cohort with a median age of 54 years at onset, while women were, on average, two years older at diagnosis. Globally, type 2 diabetes affects approximately 536.6 million people aged between 20 and 79, a figure projected to rise to 700 million by 2045.
Mental Health Complications More Prevalent in Women
Post-diagnosis disparities showed that women were more likely to develop mental health disorders, registering at 8.1% compared to 5.3% among men. Researchers noted that younger women showed mental health complications earlier and more frequently than anticipated.
Conversely, men showed higher proportions of cardiovascular disease (8.4% compared to 5.3% in women), end-stage renal disease, and hypertension trajectories (21.1% versus 20.2% for women). Across all demographics, hypertension emerged as the most frequent complication following a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Furthermore, men generally experienced an earlier onset of most complications, whereas women faced such events later in life.
The study also highlighted that women utilized more health services and long-term prescriptions on average than men, a factor researchers suggest may partly contribute to the higher rate of mental health diagnoses. Ruth Hackett, senior lecturer in Health Psychology at King’s College London, noted that men are less likely to discuss mental health concerns or seek support, increasing the necessity for clinicians to actively inquire about psychological symptoms.
Premature Mortality Linked to Combined Diabetes and Mental Health Conditions
Despite differing trajectories, both women and men who developed a combination of type 2 diabetes and a mental health condition experienced premature mortality compared to those on other health trajectories. Men in this high-risk group died on average nine years younger than women, despite utilizing healthcare services less frequently.
Current UK medical guidelines lack sex-specific prevention strategies and management protocols for type 2 diabetes and its comorbidities. Because the research is observational in nature, authors cautioned that it establishes associations rather than definitive causations.
Call for Gender-Tailored Healthcare Strategies
Based on their findings, the study authors advocate for healthcare interventions that are differentiated by sex and age. Specifically, researchers recommended:
- Incorporating routine psychological screening into standard diabetes care, particularly for younger women.
- Establishing earlier cardiovascular and kidney disease monitoring for men.
- Developing stronger strategies to support men’s engagement with their treatment over time.
Professor Ravinder Goswami, a senior endocrinologist at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, explained that the onset age for diabetes is typically younger in men, while women may lose their natural protection against heart disease prior to menopause. Experts emphasize that type 2 diabetes care must extend beyond blood sugar control to address the distinct risk factors and complications faced by each gender.
