Disparities in Type 2 Diabetes Risk, Cardiovascular Consequences, and Care: Females, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, and the Elderly

Diabetes now affects over 537 million adults worldwide and 14.7% of all US adults. Individuals with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with the general population, making diabetes a major independent risk factor for CVD. CVD is also widely documented as a leading cause of mortality in adults with diabetes, with the risk of death from cardiovascular causes two to six times higher than in adults without diabetes. This review examined diabetes risk and cardiovascular consequences, with an emphasis on racial/ethnic, sex, and age differences in CVD risk and outcomes. It also highlights two areas of emerging evidence—prevention of CVD risk in individuals with prediabetes and the role of structural racism/structural inequalities and social determinants of health on CVD risk.