Citation

Rieder A. Internist. Prax. 2004; 44(2): 353-362.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, E U H Marseille Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

The most apparent difference between men and women, with regards to their health, is the difference in life expectancy. Gender differences for specific illnesses are well known. Women contract and die more frequently from osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and most of the autoimmune diseases, and biological factors certainly play a large role in this event. The life expectancy of men is significantly curtailed through a higher mortality risk from cancer, heart disease, accidents, suicide, respiratory illnesses, and illnesses of the digestive system. The higher incidence and prevalence rates of heart disease in middle-aged men have encouraged the belief amongst women and health professionals that heart disease is the health problem of middle-aged men. There is evidence that individual risk factors can present a higher risk for women than men. Hormone status, diabetes, smoking and family medical history have greater impact in women on the early occurrence of coronary heart disease. It is well known that the health awareness of men and women is distinctly different. Women are rated as more health conscious than men and gender differences in health problems are commonly ascribed to differences in attitude. Socio-economic influences on the overall death rate are stronger in men than women and differences in mortality, associated with level of education, are greater in men. There are two important questions for research. Firstly, how can information on gender differences find its way into preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic methods in clinical practice today? Secondly, how can in the future new insights, not only into biological gender differences, but also similarities, be used effectively to improve the state of health of the patient and optimise medical care? Gender specific matters will have increasing relevance for day-to-day practice and the efficient application of the many findings in respect to diagnosis, therapy and prevention could result from, and be simplified by, gender specific practical guidelines.

Language: de

Keywords

Gender; Risk factors; Prevention; human; suicide; Mortality; female; male; accident; incidence; preventive medicine; prevalence; sex difference; mortality; education; health; health behavior; life expectancy; risk factor; review; clinical practice; socioeconomics; autoimmune disease; cancer; osteoporosis; health status; respiratory tract disease; hypertension; medical care; diabetes mellitus; heart disease; digestive system disease; arthritis; Social medicine; social medicine