Persistent Health Differences Seen Between Females and Males

Higher burden of morbidity-related conditions observed in females and higher burden of COVID-19 and road injuries in males

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) — From 1990 to 2021, there were persistent health differences between females and males, according to a study published online May 1 in The Lancet Public Health.

Vedavati Patwardhan, Ph.D., from the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues compared disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates among females and males aged older than 10 years for the 20 leading causes of disease burden at the global level and across seven world regions between 1990 and 2021 using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

The researchers found that females had a higher burden of morbidity-driven conditions globally, with the largest differences in DALYs for low back pain, depressive disorders, and headache disorders (478.5, 348.3, and 332.9 more DALYs per 100,000 individuals among females than males), while males had higher DALY rates for mortality-driven conditions, with the largest differences for COVID-19, road injuries, and ischemic heart disease (1,767.8, 1,012.2, and 1,611.8 more DALYs per 100,000 among males than females). With age, the differences became larger; for all conditions apart from HIV/AIDS, they remained consistent over time.

“As the global population ages, progress towards an equitable and healthy future for all can only be achieved through concerted, sex-informed and gender-informed strategies that recognize the distinct health challenges faced by men and women at different stages of life,” the authors write.