A recent study showed that the likelihood of death as a result of hypertension, diabetes, and HIV is higher in men than in women, despite equal chances of developing these diseases in both sexes. This requires, according to specialists from the University of Southern Denmark, increased efforts to stimulate men's participation in health promotion and prevention programs.
According to researcher Andjela Chang, the main problem is the awareness of the existing differences between genders in the context of medical assistance and treatment. For example, statistics indicate that men have higher rates of smoking, while women have higher rates of obesity.
Researchers used data from global health databases to identify differences in health between men and women. It turned out that in different countries men and women receive different forms of medical assistance in cases of hypertension, diabetes, and HIV, while the risk factors for developing these conditions vary among genders.
According to the study, in 86% of countries, men smoke more than women, considering that smoking is one of the main causes of hypertension. At the same time, women's obesity rates increase more often than men's, in 65% of countries.
Researchers emphasize that this data evidences differences in health status between men and women depending on factors causing diseases, and the forms of healthcare accessible to each gender.
