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THE CONVERSATION This article was originally published in The Conversation, an independent and non-profit source of news, analysis and commentary by academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. —— Author: Monica De Paoli, Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical Sciences, McMaster University Biomedical research – a broad term covering studies ranging from cells to experimental animal models – is the starting point for understanding how diseases develop and how we can prevent or treat them. Once such studies have been successfully performed, similar experiments can be performed in humans. These clinical trials are the highest branch of biomedical research.
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Biomedical studies use traditional male animals and men as research subjects and the knowledge gained from this research has been applied to both sexes with the hypothesis that what works for males should work for females as well. Until recently, these studies almost never looked at gender – the biological qualities of humans and animals – or gender, the socially constructed characteristics of men, women and people of different races. This is a problem for everyone, because there are differences between the sexes in how many diseases affect people. Gender differences in health conditions Premenopausal women are less likely to develop diabetes than men or postmenopausal women. Differences like these are crucial, as elevated blood glucose levels that define diabetes can lead to a life-threatening stroke and heart attack.
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Another important difference is that women do not necessarily experience the symptoms of a heart attack that are typical of men – such as chest pain – but could experience nausea, dizziness, or unusual tiredness. Without studying women and men, we would not be aware of these differences and would not understand what to look out for when diagnosing patients. Researchers have not yet figured out exactly how premenopausal women are protected from diabetes and how this disease increases the risk of stroke and heart attack. This is the main goal of the research conducted in our laboratory, where we actively study the mechanisms of this protection and how these diseases develop and evolve using models of male and female animals. On average, women live longer than men. This seems to suggest that women have some kind of health benefit, which is not necessarily expensive.
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While it is true that women are less prone to diabetes, heart attack, stroke and infections, they are more likely to develop other types of diseases. Most people with autoimmune diseases, for example, are women, as we see with arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In these disorders, the immune system, which is supposed to protect us from external invaders such as viruses and bacteria, attacks the body. It is clear that research that examines only men does not tell the whole story. There is a need to evaluate research based on how – and to whom – studies are conducted. Can we really generalize a finding when 50 percent of the population is not represented in the study? Inclusion of both sexes in the research The good news is that in recent years, and in light of observations of gender differences in disease development, researchers are taking important steps to ensure that biomedical research is more authentic and comprehensive.
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In fact, major research funding bodies in North America now require human studies to include women, and that in scientific research using cells and animals, the results must include both sexes. Such steps are extremely important because they help researchers better understand the mechanisms and trends they observe and the impact that gender and gender can have on the health of us all. A more comprehensive approach to research will lead to better preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and fewer health risks. Although men, women and people of the opposite sex share many similarities, understanding how gender differences are expressed through physical health is crucial to improving everyone’s quality of life. —— Monica De Paoli does not work, advise, hold shares or receive funding from any company or organization that will benefit from this article and has not disclosed any collaborations beyond their academic appointment. —— This article is republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read the original article:
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