EMBARGOED
FOR RELEASE UNTIL
August 8, 2007
APS Contact
Donna Krupa
Office:
(301) 634-7253
Cell: (703) 967-2751
dkrupa@the-aps.org
The “Female Advantage” In
Kidney Disease Does Not Extend To Diabetic Women
Studies
suggest kidney disease in diabetic women may be result of Imbalances in
hormonal ratios, not an absolute level of estrogen
Austin, TX – Women have a “female advantage”
when it comes to chronic kidney disease. When compared to men, they have
fewer and less severe episodes of this disorder throughout most of their
lives. That advantage disappears, however, when the woman is diabetic. For
reasons still unclear, diabetic women – regardless of age – are diagnosed
with kidney and heart diseases almost as frequently as men.
What is it about diabetes that predisposes a woman to
develop renal disease at levels generally associated with her male
counterpart? Researchers at Georgetown University’s Center for the Study of
Sex Differences in Health, Aging and Disease have been studying the
phenomenon and have identified a novel observation to help explain why. The
leader of this research team and the Center’s Director of Diabetes Research
is Dr. Christine Maric. She will discuss the state of the team’s findings
entitled, “Sex, Diabetes and Renal Injury,” at the upcoming conference, Sex
and Gender in Cardiovascular-Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology.
The meeting, sponsored by the American Physiological Society (APS;
www.The-APS.org), is being held August 9-12, 2007 at the Hyatt
Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX.
Background
Women are infrequently diagnosed with kidney or heart
disease until they reach menopause. At menopause, when their sex hormone –
estrogen – begins to disappear from their system, the rate of kidney disease
begins to increase. As a result, estrogen is believed to have a protective
effect against developing kidney and heart disease.
Unlike their non-diabetic counterparts of any age,
women with diabetes are found to have similar rates of kidney and heart
disease as males. Diabetic women are also known to have high rates of
stillborn births, experience higher rates of menstrual difficulties, and
have trouble conceiving.
Studies
In an effort to understand why women with diabetes are
more likely to get kidney disease than their non-diabetic female
counterparts, the Georgetown researchers conducted several studies in which
they determined that:
-
diabetes is associated with reduced estrogen (estradiol)
levels, which may explain why the females lose the protective factor
when it comes to diabetes
-
estrogen and estrogen-like supplements protect the kidney
in an animal model of diabetic renal disease, suggesting that restoring
estrogen levels provides protection against kidney disease
-
the absence of the hormone testosterone contributes to a
more rapid progression of kidney disease when diabetes is present. More
severe renal damage can be found when diabetes is present.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that sex hormones play a
significant role in the development of diabetic kidney disease. According to
Maric, “Our observations suggest that kidney disease in diabetic women may
not be the result of absolute levels of hormones, as previously thought, but
to the relative ratio of [sex hormone] androgen to estrogen. It may well be
that the ratio of the two hormones is what determines the effect of the
hormones in the diabetic kidney.”
According to Dr. Maric, “The biggest surprise has been
the finding that sex hormones – normally thought to control only the
reproductive function – are involved in controlling processes in
non-reproductive organs, including the kidney. Moving forward, we need to
look more deeply into understanding how sex hormones affect organ function
in each gender.”
# # #
The
American Physiological Society (APS) has been an integral part of the
scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887. Physiology
is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create
health or disease.
NOTE TO EDITORS: The APS meeting is being held
at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake, Austin, TX, August 9-12, 2007.
Members of the media are invited to attend the sessions. To schedule an
interview with Dr. Maric, please contact Donna Krupa at 301.634.7209
(direct dial), 703.967.2751 (cell) or
DKrupa@the-APS.org.
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