Sex Differences Research Articles

Sex differences in symptoms and response to Mediterranean Diet in diverticular disease

Sex differences in symptoms and response to Mediterranean Diet in diverticular disease

Sex Differences In Physiological Responses During Acute Exercise: Heritage Family Study

Sex Differences In Physiological Responses During Acute Exercise: Heritage Family Study

Sex differences and gender influence in psychosis.

Sex differences and gender influence in psychosis.

Incidence of Tibial Tubercle Fractures in Patients With and Without Osgood-Schlatter Disease.

Patients with Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) may be at increased risk of tibial tubercle fractures due to an underlying weakness of the tibial tubercle apophysis relative to the patellar tendon as a result of repetitive microtrauma. The purpose of this study is to analyze the incidence of tibial tubercle fractures in patients with and without Osgood-Schlatter disease. We hypothesized that the incidence of tibial tubercle fractures would be higher in patients with Osgood-Schlatter disease. A retrospective cohort analysis of the PearlDiver database was performed by querying all patients diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease between January 2010 and October 2022. An OSD cohort of 146,672 patients was captured using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), Tenth Revision (ICD-10) billing codes, and age as inclusion/exclusion criteria. The Student t test and the χ 2 analyses were used to compare the demographics and obesity between the OSD and control cohorts. Multivariable logistic regressions, controlling for residual differences in age, sex, and obesity, were used to compare rates of tibial tubercle fractures. Patients with a recent history of OSD were found to have higher rates of tibial tubercle fractures than the control group at all measured time points ( P <0.001). The 1-year rate of tibial tubercle fractures was 0.62% in the OSD group. The incidence of tibial tubercle fractures in the OSD group was 627.3 cases per 100,000 person-years compared with 42.7 cases per 100,000 person-years in the control group ( P <0.001). Male sex and obesity were also associated with an increased risk of sustaining a tibial tubercle fracture within these patient populations ( P <0.001). We report a significantly higher incidence of tibial tubercle fractures among patients with OSD compared with controls. This increase was most significant at 1 month following OSD diagnosis, however, held true for all measured time points. In addition, male patients and those with obesity were also noted to have increased incidence of tibial tubercle fractures regardless of an OSD diagnosis.

Exploring Sex Differences In Grit Total Scores Among Individuals With A Concussion

Exploring Sex Differences In Grit Total Scores Among Individuals With A Concussion

379 Sex Differences in Testing for Pulmonary Embolism in Emergency Department Patients by Chief Complaint

379 Sex Differences in Testing for Pulmonary Embolism in Emergency Department Patients by Chief Complaint

Examining Sex Differences In Concussed Individuals Perceived Total Number Of Concussions They Can Incur Before Retirement

Examining Sex Differences In Concussed Individuals Perceived Total Number Of Concussions They Can Incur Before Retirement

Executive functions in male and female older adults with aligned levels of VO2max.

Studies have shown a positive relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and executive functioning in older adults. Although this relationship has been well established, there seems to be a gap in the literature on the role of sex differences concerning CRF and executive functions. The current study aimed to assess the effect of sex in the relationship between CRF and cognition in older adults by stratifying the results to examine effects in males and females. Ninety-six older adults (61 females) gave their written, informed consent to participate in this cross-sectional study. All participants underwent a maximal continuous graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer to assess their maximal oxygen uptake (VO<inf>2max</inf>) and a computerized Stroop task (naming, inhibition, and switching) to assess their executive functions. According to VO<inf>2max</inf> test results and the American College of Sports Medicine's guidelines, females and males were classified into higher-fit and lower-fit groups. A general linear model and estimated marginal means analyses were applied. Results showed no significant differences in the naming, inhibition and switching performance tests between male and female older adults (P>0.05). Based on the observed positive relationship between CRF and executive functioning, the data of the current study supports the idea that aerobic exercise, which typically increases CRF, is well-situated to improve executive functioning in older adults, irrespective of sex.

Influence of Age and Sex on Stability Indicators of the Right-Left Hemodynamic Balance of Skin Microcirculation in Symmetrical Areas of the Human Head.

Indicators (markers) of microcirculation stability (MCR) of the skin in symmetric areas of the head were studied in young (18-19-years-old) and elderly (60-80-years-old) male and female subjects. We performed synchronous MCR measurements of symmetrical areas of the head using laser Doppler flowmetry in 40 healthy volunteers (10 men and 10 women in each age group). Numerical values of stability markers (T1, T2, and ζ) and indicators of the right-left hemodynamic balance of the MCR (regression coefficients a1, a2, b1, b2) were obtained using the previously developed computational and experimental methods. The coefficients a2 and b2 that determine the contribution of the right MCR bed to the right-left hemodynamic balance were higher in elderly men than in young men, while in young and elderly women, no significant differences in the values of these coefficients were revealed. In young men, coefficients a2 and b2 were lower than in young women, while in elderly subjects, the sex differences in these coefficients were leveled. Young men have lower stability markers than women, while in elderly subjects, these stability markers were similar in men and women. No significant age and sex differences in the level of perfusion of the symmetrical temporal regions were found. The results attest to low stability of MCR in young men in comparison with young women and similar stability in old age, which, apparently, can be explained by the influence of sex hormones on the regulation of human cardiovascular functions.

A sexually dimorphic hepatic cycle of periportal VLDL generation and subsequent pericentral VLDLR-mediated re-uptake

Recent single-cell transcriptomes revealed spatiotemporal programmes of liver function on the sublobular scale. However, how sexual dimorphism affected this space-time logic remained poorly understood. We addressed this by performing scRNA-seq in the mouse liver, which revealed that sex, space and time together markedly influence xenobiotic detoxification and lipoprotein metabolism. The very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) exhibits a pericentral expression pattern, with significantly higher mRNA and protein levels in female mice. Conversely, VLDL assembly is periportally biased, suggesting a sexually dimorphic hepatic cycle of periportal formation and pericentral uptake of VLDL. In humans, VLDLR expression is also pericentral, with higher mRNA and protein levels in premenopausal women compared to similarly aged men. Individuals with low hepatic VLDLR expression show a high prevalence of atherosis in the coronary artery already at an early age and an increased incidence of heart attack.

A statistical evaluation of the sexual dimorphism of the acetabulum in an Iberian population.

Sex estimation is essential for human identification within bioarchaeological and medico-legal contexts. Amongst the sexually dimorphic skeletal elements commonly utilised for this purpose, the pelvis is usually preferred because of its direct relationship with reproduction. Furthermore, the posterior part of the innominate bone has proven to have better preservation within degraded contexts. With the aim of investigating the potential of the vertical acetabular diameter as a sex marker, 668 documented individuals from three different Iberian skeletal collections were randomly divided into training and test samples and eventually analysed using different statistical approaches. Two traditional (Discriminant Function Analysis and Logistic Regression Analysis) and four Machine learning methodologies (Support Vector Classification, Decision Tree Classification, k Nearest Neighbour Classification, and Neural Networks) were performed and compared. Amongst these statistical modalities, Machine Learning methodologies yielded better accuracy outcomes, with DTC garnering highest accuracy percentages of 83.59% and 89.85% with the sex-pooled and female samples, respectively. With males, ANN yielded highest accuracy percentage of 87.70%, when compared to other statistical approaches. Higher accuracy obtained with ML, along with its minimal statistical assumptions, warrant these approaches to be increasingly utilised for further investigations involving sex estimation and human identification. In this line, the creation of a statistical platform with easier user interface can render such robust statistical modalities accessible to researchers and practitioners, effectively maximising its practical use. Future investigations should attempt to achieve this goal, alongside examining the influence of factors such as age, on the obtained accuracy outcomes.

Gender and Sex-Based Differences in Hypertension Risk Factors Among Non-Hispanic Asian Adults in the United States.

The prevalence of hypertension (HTN) is rising at an accelerated rate, and it remains the primary factor contributing to cardiovascular illnesses. Sex can serve as an influencing factor, leading to variations in the factors affecting HTN. This study aimed to investigate gender and sex differences in the prevalence of HTN and explore the associations between HTN and 4 categories of risk factors: demographics, habits or lifestyle, body measurement, and laboratory blood results among non-Hispanic Asians in the United States. This secondary analysis included non-Hispanic Asian adults aged 18 years or older from the 2017 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Among the 815 participants, 35% of men (140 of 399) and 37% (154 of 416) of women had HTN (P = .610). The mean age for men is 46.03 ± 16.9 years, whereas the mean age for women is 49.24 ± 16.8 years. After regression analysis, advancing age, increased body mass index, and increased serum uric acid were significant predictors of HTN in both sexes. However, men developed HTN earlier compared with women. Marital status and increased fasting glucose were only significant in men. Compared with their never-married counterparts, men who were currently married or living with a partner had lower odds of having HTN (odds ratio, 0.28; P = .034). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of HTN between the sexes. Age, body mass index, and serum uric acid were significant risk factors in both men and women. Meanwhile, marital status and fasting glucose were only significant in men.

Global burden of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease attributable to high fasting plasma glucose in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) brings heavy clinical and economic burdens to patients worldwide. High fasting plasma glucose (HFPG) was proven to be an important modifiable risk factor. However, the global burden distribution of HFPG-attributable MASLD has not been fully studied. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological distribution and trends of the burden of HFPG-attributable MASLD worldwide. The data source was the 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study. Descriptive statistics were mainly conducted using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths of HFPG-attributable MASLD from 1990 to 2021, as well as their age-standardized rates (ASRs) and population-attributable fractions. Subgroup analyses were conducted by region, age group, and sex. We found that 213.48 thousand DALYs and 10.02 thousand deaths in MASLD were attributable to HFPG worldwide in 2021, with an increase of 2.96 and 3.32 times compared with 1990, respectively. Over the past 32years, age-standardized DALY rates (ASDRs) have fluctuated upward, reaching 2.45 per 100,000 people in 2021, with an increase of 81.21%. The ASDRs continued to rise in low, low-middle, and high social demographic index (SDI) regions, fluctuated upward at high levels in middle SDI regions, and were relatively low in high-middle SDI regions. People aged 50-69 accounted for the largest proportion of DALYs, while people over 70 had the largest increase of 3.73 times. Men had higher ASDRs, and the sex difference has been gradually expanding over the past 32years, peaking at the age of 45-49. In conclusion, the burden of HFPG-attributable MASLD has continued to increase globally, with differences in geographical area, age, and sex distribution. HFPG, as a modifiable risk factor, should be given more importance. The implementation of targeted health intervention strategies is recommended for each country based on trends in the burden of HFPG-attributable MASLD.

Influence of gender dimorphism on audience engagement in podcasts: a machine learning analysis of dynamic affective linguistic and paralinguistic features

Influence of gender dimorphism on audience engagement in podcasts: a machine learning analysis of dynamic affective linguistic and paralinguistic features

Thyroid Function, Diabetes, and Common Age-Related Eye Diseases: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Previous Mendelian randomization (MR) studies showed an association between hypothyroidism and cataract and between high-normal free thyroxine (FT4) and late age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but not between FT4, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), or hyperthyroidism and diabetic retinopathy or cataract. These studies included a limited number of genetic variants for thyroid function and did not investigate autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) or glaucoma, include bidirectional and multivariable MR (MVMR), and examine sex differences or potential mediation effects of diabetes. We aimed to address this knowledge gap. Methods: We examined the causality and directionality of the associations of AITD, and FT4 and TSH within the reference range with common age-related eye diseases (diabetic retinopathy, cataract, early and late AMD, and primary open-angle glaucoma). We conducted a bidirectional two-sample MR study utilizing publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics from international consortia (ThyroidOmics, International AMD Genetics Consortium, deCODE, UK Biobank, FinnGen, and DIAGRAM). Bidirectional MR tested directionality, whereas MVMR estimated independent causal effects. Furthermore, we investigated type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) as potential mediators. Results: Genetic predisposition to AITD was associated with increased risk of diabetic retinopathy (p = 3 × 10-4), cataract (p = 3 × 10-3), and T1D (p = 1 × 10-3), but less likely T2D (p = 0.01). MVMR showed attenuated estimates for diabetic retinopathy and cataract when adjusting for T1D, but not T2D. We found pairwise bidirectional associations between AITD, T1D, and diabetic retinopathy. Genetic predisposition to both T1D and T2D increased the risk of diabetic retinopathy and cataract (p < 4 × 10-4). Moreover, genetically predicted higher FT4 within the reference range was associated with an increased risk of late AMD (p = 0.01), particularly in women (p = 7 × 10-3). However, we neither found any association between FT4 and early AMD nor between TSH and early and late AMD. No other associations were observed. Conclusions: Genetic predisposition to AITD is associated with risk of diabetic retinopathy and cataract, mostly mediated through increased T1D risk. Reciprocal associations between AITD, diabetic retinopathy, and T1D imply a shared autoimmune origin. The role of FT4 in AMD and potential sex discrepancies needs further investigation.

Parenthood and All-cause Mortality in Older Adults with Schizophrenia: A Multicenter 5-Year Prospective Study.

The large body of literature examining the association between parenthood and mortality in the general population contrasts with a lack of studies among older adults with schizophrenia. Identifying potential protective factors of premature death in this population is important to help guide prevention measures. Here, we examined whether all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates significantly differ between older adults with schizophrenia with and without children, during a 5-year follow-up. We used data from a 5-year prospective multicenter sample of older adults with an ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia (aged 55 years or more) recruited in France. We performed a forward stepwise logistic regression to examine the association between parenthood and all-cause mortality, including only those independent variables that best explain outcome. Of 323 older adults with schizophrenia, 133 (41.2%) had children (mean age=67.0, SD=6.1), whereas 190 were without children (mean age=67.2, SD=6.6). Following adjustments, parenthood was significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality compared to patients without children in this population (21.1% (n=28) versus 35.8% (n=68); AOR=0.50; 95%CI=0.27-0.94; p=0.032), without significant sex differences in this association. Parenthood could be protective against mortality among older patients with schizophrenia who live in France. Further research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms underlying this association.

Unveiling sex differences in skeletal muscle metabolism: the role of HIF1α in normoxia.

Unveiling sex differences in skeletal muscle metabolism: the role of HIF1α in normoxia.

The Role of the Rat Prefrontal Cortex and Sex Differences in Decision-Making.

The prefrontal cortex is critical for decision-making across species, with its activity linked to choosing between options. Drift Diffusion Models (DDMs) are commonly employed to understand the neural computations underlying this behavior. Studies exploring the specific roles of regions of the rodent prefrontal cortex in controlling the decision process are limited. This study explored the role of the prelimbic cortex (PLC) in decision-making using a two-alternative forced-choice task. Rats first learned to report the location of a lateralized visual stimulus. The brightness of the stimulus indicated its reward value. Then, the rats learned to make choices between pairs of stimuli. Sex differences in learning were observed, with females responding faster and more selectively to high-value stimuli than males. DDM analysis found that males had decreased decision thresholds during initial learning, whereas females maintained a consistently higher drift rate. Pharmacological manipulations revealed that PLC inactivation reduced the decision threshold for all rats, indicating that less information was needed to make a choice in the absence of normal PLC processing. Mu opioid receptor stimulation of the PLC had the opposite effect, raising the decision threshold and reducing bias in the decision process towards high-value stimuli. These effects were observed without any impact on the rats' choice preferences. Our findings suggest that PLC has an inhibitory role in the decision process and regulates the amount of evidence that is required to make a choice. That is, PLC activity controls "when", but not "how", to act.Significance Statement This study reports causal evidence for a part of the rat prefrontal cortex, the prelimbic cortex, in controlling the amount of information needed to make a choice. Results were based on reversible inactivation using the GABA-A agonist muscimol and by stimulation of mu opioid receptors using intra-cortical infusions of the selective mu agonist DAMGO. We also found evidence for a sex difference in learning and performing a visually guided two-alternative forced-choice task. Drift Diffusion Models found that females had stable decision processes throughout learning, and showed a persistent bias against the lower value option. By contrast, males exhibited changes in their decision processes, notably reducing the amount of information needed to make choice over the period of early choice learning.

Women Veterans' Stroke Risk Factors: Identified Prevention Methods and Knowledge Gaps.

Stroke is a significant health burden for veterans and the fifth leading cause of death for women. Compared to civilian women, women veterans have significant multimorbid physical and mental health conditions contributing to their stroke risk. This scoping review aimed to synthesize evidence on the stroke risk factors specific to U.S. women veterans and identify any association between risk factors and a delay in prevention and treatment for women veterans. This study was approved by the organizational Institutional Review Board. The search strategy was run across 6 databases: MEDLINE and EMBASE via Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. A total of 1218 records were uploaded to Covidence for screening. Criteria for included studies were peer-reviewed primary research articles written in English about women veterans and cardiovascular disease and stroke risk factors. No restrictions were placed on publication date. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Cohorts were 30 years and older. Data originated from national and individual Veterans Affairs studies. Women veterans starting at age 30 have a steadily increasing positive curvilinear association with stroke risk, indicating a need to screen earlier than the recommended age of 45 years. Stroke incidence was higher in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, traumatic brain injury, constipation with laxative use, egg consumption (2-4 eggs/wk), frailty, and systemic sclerosis. When comparing White veterans and civilian counterparts, Black veterans had a higher incidence of stroke. Ten studies addressed prevention methods. The clinicians should screen and treat women veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder and constipation and consider alternative treatment methods for constipation. Empirical literature on this matter is lacking. Examining and understanding the differences in sex, gender, and veteran status, and their association with stroke risk, is warranted. Screening women veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder and for stroke early, at 30 years of age, is recommended.

The Moderating Effect of Sex on Autistic Trait Emotional Intelligence, Alexithymia, and Empathy.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with differences in social communication, and these differences are related to trait emotional intelligence (TEI), alexithymia, and empathy. Autism is known to present differently in males and females, but research on sex differences in TEI, alexithymia, and empathy is largely relegated to non-autistic people. Therefore, the current research sought to explore individual relationships between autistic characteristics and TEI, alexithymia, and empathy, as well as the possible influence of sex in these relationships. In the current study, autistic and non-autistic adults reported on their autistic characteristics, TEI, alexithymia, and empathy. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that more autistic characteristics would be associated with less TEI, more alexithymia, and less empathy, and that these relationships would be more prominent amongst males. More autistic characteristics were associated with greater challenges across the three areas of interest. However, only the relationship between TEI and autistic characteristics was moderated by sex, such that males demonstrated higher support needs related to TEI than females. Results from this analysis indicate that adults with more autistic characteristics, regardless of diagnostic status, demonstrate differences in TEI, alexithymia, and empathy. The current analysis may offer additional context to the evolving understanding of empathy and autism by suggesting that TEI and alexithymia could account for differences in empathy. Moreover, sex seems to play a role in the relationship between autistic characteristics and TEI such that differences are especially prominent for males.