Sex Differences in Cardiometabolic Risk in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Attending a Regional Referral Hospital in Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic complications, with attendant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Evidence suggests sex-linked disparities in cardiometabolic risks due to biological, social, behavioral, and socioeconomic determinants. However, sex-linked cardiometabolic risks among adults with T2DM in Kenya are poorly understood. This study examined sex differences in cardiometabolic risk factors among adults with T2DM attending Embu County Referral Hospital in Kenya. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 136 adults with T2DM aged ≥18 years who were diagnosed at least six months earlier. Data were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire. Physiological and anthropometric measurements, including body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure (BP), random blood glucose (RBG), and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), were measured. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics, including age-adjusted logistic regression analyses of cardiometabolic risks by sex. The p-value was set at ≤0.05. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly female (69.9%), with a mean (±SD) age of 56.34 (±13.83) years. Females were more likely than males to have a prior hypertension diagnosis (73.33% vs. 26.67%; p < 0.001), be obese (88.9% vs. 11.1%; p = 0.003), have a higher waist circumference (93.6% vs. 6.4%; p < 0.001), and have a higher WHR (97.7% vs. 2.3%; p < 0.001). No significant sex differences were observed in RBG, HbA1c, or BP measurements. After age adjustment, sex was not independently associated with the cardiometabolic risks. Adults aged 50-65 years had significantly lower odds of high BMI compared with those aged