Type 2 diabetes patients have a high risk of heart disease. Recognizing the effects of diabetes medication on the heart may help change those risks — which might depend on gender.

The most widely prescribed medication for diabetes, metformin, also has heart health benefits for diabetes patients. For those without diabetes, however, its effects on the heart may be limited.

Heart problems are a serious and common issue for patients with type 2 diabetes. Controlling diabetes might reduce their heart risks, but that protection might depend on the specific diabetes treatment.

As the obesity rate among young people has climbed, so has the rate of type 2 diabetes. Adolescents who get the disease may face more health problems than those who get it as an adult.