Women with diabetes are more likely to develop an irregular heart rhythm than non-diabetics of either gender --and this increases their risk of stroke.
This is a key finding of a study published in the October issue of Diabetes Care. Dr. Greg Nichols, the lead researcher for the seven-year study by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., says: "Women with diabetes have an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation. We found a highly statistically significant association for women, with diabetes being a stronger risk factor for atrial fibrillation than obesity or raised blood pressure."