While men face a higher risk of premature death, women tend to spend more of their lifetime grappling with poor health, according to a recent global study published in Lancet Public Health.
The findings, drawn from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, highlight stark differences in the distribution of illness and premature mortality between genders over the past three decades, shedding light on the diverse and evolving health needs of men and women across the globe.
Researchers analyzed data spanning from 1990 to 2021, examining the prevalence of various health conditions and events leading to premature death.
Key findings reveal that musculoskeletal conditions, mental health issues, and headache disorders, though non-fatal, are more prevalent among women, leading to prolonged periods of ill health. This is compounded by women’s longer life expectancy, resulting in higher levels of illness and disability throughout their lives.
Furthermore, the study highlights specific conditions like ischaemic heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic kidney disease, where sex differences impact men at younger ages and exacerbate over time. Covid-19, the dominant health concern in 2021, affected significantly more men than women, further emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing these disparities.
The study revealed that men lost 45 percent more life years from Covid-19 compared to women. This disparity underscores the need for targeted interventions to address the specific health challenges faced by each gender. One notable finding was the wide gap in health loss related to low back pain, which disproportionately disadvantaged women, particularly in regions such as South Asia and Central Europe.
The research highlighted that these health differences manifest from adolescence and persist throughout life, with women experiencing higher levels of illness and disability due to their longer life expectancy.
The authors emphasized the importance of implementing “concerted, sex- and gender-informed strategies” to promote equitable health outcomes. They called for enhanced reporting of sex and gender data to inform policy decisions and improve health interventions.Senior author Luisa Sorio Flor of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington stressed the timeliness of the study, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic’s profound impact on health outcomes.
