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Ballering AV, Olde Hartman TC, Rosmalen JG. Gender scores in epidemiological research: methods, advantages and implications. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2024; 43:100962. [PMID: 38989448 PMCID: PMC11233999 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Sex and gender-related factors are strongly associated with patients' illness trajectories, underscoring their essential role in epidemiological research and healthcare. Ignoring sex and gender in research and health inevitably results in inequities between women and men in terms of detection of disease, preventative measures, and effectiveness of treatment. Historical influences, including ideas of female inferiority and conservative notions of women's health only comprising reproductive health, reinforced the perceived irrelevance of sex and gender to health. Currently, these ideas are largely abandoned and epidemiology is becoming increasingly sensitive to sex. Gender-sensitivity, however, is lagging behind. This is potentially due to lacking knowledge and awareness about the relevance of both sex and gender to health and challenges in operationalizing gender in epidemiological research. Here, we thoroughly discuss the relevance of sex and gender to health, and pay special attention to the time, place, and culture-dependent embodiment of gender. We also discuss the operationalization of gender via composite gender scores in epidemiological studies. We argue to move beyond solely using these. Rather we should consider sex and gender in the initial stages of designing a study, to facilitate relevant, reproducible, and person-centric research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aranka V. Ballering
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Tim C. Olde Hartman
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud Institute of Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Judith G.M. Rosmalen
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Internal Medicine, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Farkas K, Stanek A, Zbinden S, Borea B, Ciurica S, Moore V, Maguire P, Abola MTB, Alajar EB, Marcoccia A, Erer D, Casanegra AI, Sharebiani H, Sprynger M, Kavousi M, Catalano M. Vascular Diseases in Women: Do Women Suffer from Them Differently? J Clin Med 2024; 13:1108. [PMID: 38398419 PMCID: PMC10889109 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13041108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women worldwide, yet its magnitude is often underestimated. Biological and gender differences affect health, diagnosis, and healthcare in numerous ways. The lack of sex and gender awareness in health research and healthcare is an ongoing issue that affects not only research but also treatment and outcomes. The importance of recognizing the impacts of both sex and gender on health and of knowing the differences between the two in healthcare is beginning to gain ground. There is more appreciation of the roles that biological differences (sex) and sociocultural power structures (gender) have, and both sex and gender affect health behavior, the development of diseases, their diagnosis, management, and the long-term effects of an illness. An important issue is the knowledge and awareness of women about vascular diseases. The risk of cardiovascular events is drastically underestimated by women themselves, as well as by those around them. The purpose of this review is to draw attention to improving the medical care and treatment of women with vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin Farkas
- Department of Angiology, Szent Imre University Teaching Hospital, Tétényi út 12-16, 1115 Budapest, Hungary
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
| | - Agata Stanek
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Batorego 15 Street, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
| | - Stephanie Zbinden
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Department of Angiology, Zurich University Hospital, Ramistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Borea
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Department of Angiology and Haemostasis, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Genève, Switzerland
| | - Simina Ciurica
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Department of Cardiology, Marie Curie Civil Hospital, CHU Charleroi, Chaussée de Bruxelles 140, 6042 Lodelinsart, Belgium
| | - Vanessa Moore
- European Institute of Women’s Health, Ashgrove House, Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, A96 N9K0 Dublin, Ireland; (V.M.); (P.M.)
| | - Peggy Maguire
- European Institute of Women’s Health, Ashgrove House, Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, A96 N9K0 Dublin, Ireland; (V.M.); (P.M.)
| | - Maria Teresa B. Abola
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Clinical Research Department, Education, Training and Research Services, Philippine Heart Center, University of the Philippines College of Medicine, 547 Pedro Gil Street, Manila 1000, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Elaine B. Alajar
- Manila Doctors Hospital, 667 United Nations Ave, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila, Philippines;
| | - Antonella Marcoccia
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Angiology and Autoimmunity Medical Unit, Rare Diseases Reference Center for Systemic Sclerosis, Sandro Pertini Hospital, 00157 Rome, Italy
| | - Dilek Erer
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Gazi University Hospital, Mevlana Blv. No:29, Yenimahalle, Ankara 06560, Turkey
| | - Ana I. Casanegra
- Gonda Vascular Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55901, USA;
| | - Hiva Sharebiani
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Support Association of Patients of Buerger’s Disease, Buerger’s Disease NGO, Mashhad 9183785195, Iran
| | - Muriel Sprynger
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Liège, Hospital Boulevard, 4000 Liege, Belgium
| | - Maryam Kavousi
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mariella Catalano
- VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine, Via GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy; (A.S.); (S.Z.); (B.B.); (S.C.); (M.T.B.A.); (A.M.); (D.E.); (H.S.); (M.S.); (M.K.); (M.C.)
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Inter-University Research Center on Vascular Disease, University of Milan, GB Grassi 74, 20157 Milan, Italy
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Carmona L, Aurrecoechea E, García de Yébenes MJ. Tailoring Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment through a Sex and Gender Lens. J Clin Med 2023; 13:55. [PMID: 38202062 PMCID: PMC10779667 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13010055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs more frequently in women than in men, and the studies that have addressed clinical and prognostic differences between the sexes are scarce and have contradictory results and methodological problems. The present work aims to evaluate sex- and gender-related differences in the clinical expression and prognosis of RA as well as on the impact on psychosocial variables, coping behavior, and healthcare use and access. By identifying between sex differences and gender-related outcomes in RA, it may be possible to design tailored therapeutic strategies that consider the differences and unmet needs. Being that sex, together with age, is the most relevant biomarker and health determinant, a so-called personalized medicine approach to RA must include clear guidance on what to do in case of differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreto Carmona
- Instituto de Salud Musculoesquelética, 28045 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Aurrecoechea
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Sierrallana, Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39300 Torrelavega, Spain
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