Women and men are not equal when it comes to health.
You can avoid some health problems because of your genes. On the other hand, most health disorders impact both men and women to differing degrees and in different ways.
In certain circumstances, experts are baffled as to why certain diseases are more prevalent in one sex than another. Doctors will tell you that numerous genetic, physiological, and hormonal variables are at play in some instances. Continue reading to Health facts for men and women today.
Men
Many male health hazards can be linked to their actions: Men, on average, participate in activities that increase their risk of injury and disease. They also tend to eat fewer nutritious foods.
Anatomy, hormones, and DNA, on the other hand, all have a part in men’s elevated risk of various diseases:
Heart disease is a severe condition. More than 39% of males over 65 have heart disease, compared to around 27% of women in the same age range.
Why? Men’s bodies are typically apple-shaped, whereas women’s bodies are pear-shaped. Women’s weight gain is frequently concentrated on their hips and thighs.
Pamela Strauss, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Rush, notes, “Men almost often put weight on around the midsection.” “And we know that visceral fat, a sort of body fat that many women don’t have, is a risk factor for heart disease.”
In addition, men are not protected by oestrogen. Estrogen may help women’s cholesterol levels stay balanced, lowering a significant risk factor for heart disease. However, after a woman reaches menopause, her risk of heart disease increases.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder. Men are affected by this devastating neurological condition to a greater extent than women.
Why: Researchers believe that oestrogen, which maintains brain function by activating particular proteins or interacting with chemicals known as free radicals, is involved. Because men have a lower level of oestrogen, they are less protected.
Several studies have also shown a genetic relationship between Parkinson’s disease and the male X chromosome.
Males are also more susceptible to the following conditions:
- Autism
- Stones in the kidneys
- Pancreatitis
Women
When discussing women’s health concerns with doctors, anatomy and hormones frequently arise. Listed below are a few examples:
Stroke. In the United States, around 55,000 more women than men have strokes each year.
Why: This statistic is influenced by several variables, the most important of which is oestrogen.
It’s possible that women aren’t aware of the impact oestrogen has on stroke risk. They may be aware that birth control pills, hormone replacement treatment, and pregnancy all increase risk, but they may not be aware of the underlying cause, which is oestrogen levels altering.
The chemicals in the blood that produce clots are affected by variations in oestrogen levels, not by oestrogen itself. More exercise causes more clotting, which can increase the risk of stroke.
Osteoporosis. Females account for about 80% of the estimated 10 million Americans who have osteoporosis.
Why? Because women’s bones are thinner, smaller, and have less bone tissue than men’s. Estrogen protects women’s bones over most of their lifetimes and may prevent a chemical that destroys bone cells.
However, as a woman’s oestrogen levels drop during menopause, she loses bone mass (osteoporosis). This deterioration has a cost: over half of all women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.
Females are also more susceptible to the following conditions:
- Migraines
- Alzheimer’s disease is a kind of dementia.
- Problems with the urinary tract
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects people
