Do drugs treat men better than women?
updated the 14 July 2015 à 18:35After interviewing many experts and carrying out studies on the subject, it was found that some drugs are more effective in men than in women. Here’s why.
This is one of those investigations that might evolve medicine – well, hopefully. It was previously suspected that drugs had different actions depending on our age and ethnicity but now it seems our gender has something to do with it as well. Indeed, a research done by French magazine Science et Vie (Science and Life) has revealed some drugs are more effective in men than women – or have completely different effects depending on the sex of the patient. Most unexpected yet: according to a 2008 German study, women have a 50% more chance to suffering the side effects of medicines!
It all starts at the research stage since in many animal studies, females are automatically rejected as their hormonal cycle might skew the results. And it goes on to clinical trials in humans, where women are regularly excluded because of the risk of pregnancy or because they taking a contraceptive. And since only a third of the studies takes into consideration the gender in the interpretation of results, there is a big blur that gives the advantage to the population most represented, i.e. men.
ASPIRIN, VACCINE, SLEEPING PILLS: DRUGS THAT we SHOULD BE WARY of
The article reviews the effects of various drugs on men and women. We learn that aspirin prevents heart attacks in men (-31% risk), while in women, it lowers the risk of stroke (- 17% “only”). Another example: vaccines against influenza, yellow fever and hepatitis B. According to the survey, they would be too powerful for the female who would need only half of the injected dose to be adequately protected. The excess which may result in multiple side effects. Finally, some sleeping pills (zolpidem for example) would be less rapidly absorbed and eliminated from the body in women. The risk of drowsiness 8h after taking it would therefore be increased.
Maureen Diament
