The importance of gender of patients and general practitioners in relation to treatment practices for overweight.

Jeanett Friis Rohde,Ulla Hølund,Berit Lilienthal Heitmann,Pia Müller,Jørgen Lous,Marie Vik Hessner,Sisira Siribaddana

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0095706

Abstract

BackgroundSeveral studies suggest that men and women are treated differently for similar disease including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Differences in attitudes and treatment practices towards men and women with obesity are not well recognized.ObjectiveTo investigate the attitudes and treatment practices among Danish general practitioners (GPs), in relation to treatment of overweight, while taking gender of both the patients and practitioners into account.DesignQuestionnaire inventory covertly examining attitudes and practices among Danish general practitioners towards treatment of overweight. All 3.637 general practitioners from the Danish Medical Association register were invited to participate in the survey. In total 1.136 participated.ResultsThe GPs found weight loss to be more important for overweight male than overweight female patients. They also treated complications to overweight more rigorously among male than female patients, and recommended lipid lowering medicine more often to male than female overweight patients. In addition, the younger female GPs and older male GPs more often said that they would treat an overweight patient with lipid lowering medicine.ConclusionAmong general practitioners in Denmark, treatment for weight loss is more often practiced for overweight male than overweight female patients presenting with same symptoms. In addition, hyperlipidemia among overweight males is also more often treated with lipid lowering medicine than hyperlipidemia among overweight females.

Highlights

A number of studies have shown that the relative risk of health complications related to obesity seems more severe for women than men [1]
Among general practitioners in Denmark, treatment for weight loss is more often practiced for overweight male than overweight female patients presenting with same symptoms
Hyperlipidemia among overweight males is more often treated with lipid lowering medicine than hyperlipidemia among overweight females

Summary

Introduction

A number of studies have shown that the relative risk of health complications related to obesity seems more severe for women than men [1]. Absolute incidence and death from CVD is clearly overall more prevalent in men than in women, at least until age 70, but the relative risk of CVD related to obesity is greater for women than men [6], and female CVD patients have been shown to have a worse prognosis compared to male CVD patients [7,8]. A recent Danish study found that for the same degree of obesity, women had more mental and physical health problems, including depression, fertility problems, and osteoarthritis [12], and an American study showed that women with obesity suffer more from stress, headache, tiredness and depression than men with obesity [13]. Differences in attitudes and treatment practices towards men and women with obesity are not well recognized

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Discussion

Conclusion