Women given specific recommendations about diet and exercise were 30 per cent less likely to die from diabetes-related causes than those given routine care, Danish scientists found.
But the same strict advice given to men had no impact on their mortality.
Dr Marlene Krag, from the University of Copenhagen, said structure personal diabetes care could provide women with significant attention and support - thereby helping them to stick to treatment plans.
She said: 'Women accept disease and implement disease management more easily, which might affect long-term outcomes.'
In a trial done, of those patients receiving structured treatment, there was a difference at the end of the trial - women had lower blood glucose levels.
In the latest study, the authors followed the participants of the original study for 13 years until 2008.
Of the 970 patients from the original 1,381 who survived, 478 women and 492 men were re-examined.
The results showed women given personal care plans were 26 per cent less likely to die of any cause and 30 per cent less likely to die of a diabetes-related cause than women given routine care.
They were also 41 per cent less likely to suffer a stroke, and 35 per cent less like to experience any diabetes-related end-point such as amputation or blindness.
However none of these differences were seen between the men who received personal care or routine car, but the differences between the sexes were only statistically significant for all-cause mortality and diabetes-related death.
The authors concluded: "We propose that the improved outcomes in women may be explained by complex social and cultural issues of gender.'
They added there was now a need to re-think the way care was provided to men and women, 'so that both sexes benefit from intensified treatment efforts'.
