Gender specific therapies and disorders

This review explores the impact of gender on medication adherence in the context of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Optimal adherence to medication is crucial for achieving treatment goals and preventing adverse outcomes in chronic diseases. The review examines specific conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and heart failure. In type 2 diabetes, female sex, younger age, new drug prescription, non-white ethnicity, low education level, and low income were identified as predictors of non-adherence...

Glaucoma is a common irreversible vision loss disorder because of the gradual loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the optic nerve axons. Major risk factors include elder age and high intraocular pressure (IOP). However, high IOP is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause glaucoma. Some non-IOP signaling cascades can mediate RGC degeneration. In addition, gender, diet, obesity, depression, or anxiety also contribute to the development of glaucoma. Understanding the mechanism of glaucoma development is crucial for timely diagnosis and establishing new strategies to improve current IOP-reducing therapies...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sex differences in the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been reported, with a higher prevalence in women than in men. However, sex differences in clinical presentation remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the phenotypic differences in patients with RLS between sexes by comparing clinical presentations, iron status, polysomnographic parameters, and treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 614 patients (225 men, 389 women) diagnosed with RLS...

PURPOSE: Individuals born with a cleft palate with or without a cleft lip (CP ± L) often experience functional, aesthetic, and psychosocial consequences well into adulthood. This study aimed to investigate outcomes of speech and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with a CP ± L who received interdisciplinary cleft care at the Ghent University Hospital using valid, reliable, and condition-specific instruments. METHOD: Thirteen Belgian Dutch-speaking participants with a CP ± L with a mean age of 25...

INTRODUCTION: We determined age- and gender-specific reference intervals (RIs) for acylcarnitines and amino acids by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in the Turkish paediatric population by using laboratory information system (LIS) data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 9156 MS/MS results of children between 0-18 years of age, were downloaded from the LIS. Premature infants and newborns followed in the intensive care unit were excluded and only the first result of each patient attending outpatient clinics was included...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) and related carcinoid syndrome (CaS) has increased markedly in recent decades, and women appear to be more at risk than men. As per other tumors, gender may be relevant in influencing the clinical and prognostic characteristics of NEN-associated CS. However, specific data on carcinoid syndrome (CaS) are still lacking. PURPOSE: To evaluate gender differences in clinical presentation and outcome of CaS. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 144 CaS patients from 20 Italian high-volume centers was conducted...

Introduction The second most common cause of emergency department (ED) visits is chest pain and discomfort. Timely identification or threat stratification is crucial for identifying high-risk individuals who benefit from sophisticated diagnostic investigations (including cardiac biomarkers) and early relevant therapies. We aimed to assess the levels of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) and also to study its sensitivity and specificity in comparison with cardiac troponin T/troponin I and electrocardiogram (ECG) (alone and in combination) in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction...

INTRODUCTION: Women are on average diagnosed with diabetes mellitus at later age than men but have higher mortality. As the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is primarily based on HbA1c, the use of a non-specific reference range and cut point for diabetes mellitus that does not account for gender differences in diabetes could potentially lead to underdiagnosis of diabetes mellitus in women and missed opportunities for intervention. We investigated whether a contributing factor to the later diagnosis in women may be a difference in distribution of HbA1c in premenopausal women versus men of the same age by comparing HbA1c values in men and women across multiple sites in the UK...

INTRODUCTION: People diagnosed with anorexia nervosa are offered or compelled to undergo various treatments and therapies. In Sweden, the lack of highly specialised eating disorder services means that people with anorexia nervosa might be cared for in general psychiatric wards. However, there has been limited research attention paid to how this specific context might benefit or harm persons with anorexia nervosa. There is also limited evidence regarding which form of care is most effective in anorexia nervosa and which type of treatment is optimal in general psychiatric inpatient care...

BACKGROUND: Among its pleiotropic properties, gender-affirming hormone therapy (GHT) affects regional brain volumes. The hypothalamus, which regulates neuroendocrine function and associated emotional and cognitive processes, is an intuitive target for probing GHT effects. We sought to assess changes to hypothalamus and hypothalamic subunit volumes after GHT, thereby honouring the region's anatomical and functional heterogeneity. METHODS: Individuals with gender dysphoria and cisgender controls underwent 2 MRI measurements, with a median interval of 145 days (interquartile range [IQR] 128...

BACKGROUND: Scant information exists on Iranian women's protective behaviors mainly constant condom use. Inconsistent condom use seems prevalent among women with substance use problems. We aimed to investigate risky sexual behaviors (RSBs) and condom use barriers in Iranian women with substance use disorders (SUDs). METHODS: In our cross-sectional study, we recruited 300 women who sought treatments for their SUDs from the active outpatient drug free (ODF) and Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) centers in Tehran, Iran during 2017-2021...

BACKGROUND: Transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) adolescents and young adults are underrepresented in the literature on eating disorders and body image-related problems, despite increased mental health disparities and emerging research showing high associations between gender dysphoria, body image, and eating disorders among TGNB youth. AIMS: The scoping review was designed to critically examine the research on TGNB adolescents and young adults who experience eating and body image related problems as well as clinical studies on treatment approaches and effectiveness...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sex differences in sleep architecture are well-documented, with females experiencing longer total sleep time (TST), more slow wave sleep (SWS) and shorter Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep duration than males. Although studies imply that sex hormones could affect sleep, research on exogenous sex hormones on sleep architecture is still inconclusive. This study examined sleep architecture changes in transgender individuals after 3 months of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT)...

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of PCOS and hyperandrogenism amongst adolescent transmasculine patients presenting to a tertiary care referral center for gender affirming care. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of adolescent transmasculine patients presenting to Cleveland Clinic for gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). The diagnostic criteria were adolescent-specific as defined by the international evidence-based guideline for PCOS management and included oligomenorrhea and/or anovulation with clinical and/or biochemical hyperandrogenism after exclusion of other androgen excess disorders...

Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD), recently recognized in the ICD-11 as an independent disorder, has been shown to be more prevalent in sexual minorities. However, we still lack studies investigating which factors contribute to CSBD and related behaviors in this group. In our cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationships between characteristics potentially contributing to CSBD and problematic pornography use (PPU) in sexual minority individuals: sexual minority stress (internalized sexual stigma, discrimination experiences, and openness about one's sexual orientation), perceived social support, and sexualized drug use (also more prevalent in sexual minorities)...

INTRODUCTION: Hypercholesterolemia is one of the main risk factors associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. Statins are the standard cholesterollowering treatment; however, they have shown, in clinical practice, a reduced adherence to therapy (<50%) and a modest achievement of the expected outcomes for treatment. This condition prompt scientific research to develop drugs with different mechanisms of action. In this regard, excellent results have been achieved with therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies against PCSK9, enzyme involved in recycling of Low density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR) on the hepatocytes surface...

BACKGROUND: Modern psychometric methods make it possible to eliminate nonperforming items and reduce measurement error. Application of these methods to existing outcome measures can reduce variability in scores, and may increase treatment effect sizes in depression treatment trials. AIMS: We aim to determine whether using confirmatory factor analysis techniques can provide better estimates of the true effects of treatments, by conducting secondary analyses of individual patient data from randomised trials of antidepressant therapies...

BACKGROUND: In India, around 77 million people are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Yoga interventions can be effective in preventing T2DM. We conducted a feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT) in India, and the intervention was the Yoga Programme for T2DM Prevention (YOGA-DP). This study aimed to identify and explore the facilitators and challenges in conducting the feasibility trial in India, and more specifically, to explore the perceptions and experiences of trial staff in relation to running the feasibility trial and Yoga instructors in relation to delivering the intervention...

Earlier research has presumed that the male and female biology is similar in most organs except the reproductive system, leading to major misconceptions in research interpretations and clinical implications, with serious disorders being overlooked or misdiagnosed. Careful research has now identified sex differences in the cardiovascular, renal, endocrine, gastrointestinal, immune, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems. Also, several cardiovascular, immunological, and neurological disorders have shown differences in prevalence and severity between males and females...

Sexual and gender minorities have a higher risk for health and nutrition-related disparities across the life course, compared to the heterosexual or cisgender population. Experiences of stigmatization and discrimination are associated with diminished mental health quality and psychological distress, which are risk factors for developing various eating disorders. Other nutrition disparities include increased risk for food insecurity, body dissatisfaction, and weight complications, such as those experienced by the transgender population in association with gender-affirming hormone therapies...