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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Mechanisms behind gender differences in circulating leptin levels.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate gender differences in circulating leptin levels and adipose tissue production of leptin. DESIGN SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Thirty-two men and 63 women with a large interindividual variation in body mass index (BMI), but otherwise healthy, were investigated after an overnight fast. Body fat (bioimpedance), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue secretion of leptin in vitro and serum leptin were determined. RESULTS: Although there was no gender difference in mean BMI or fat cell size, mean percentage body fat was 49 in women and 36 in men (P < 0.001). At each level of BMI, serum leptin levels were about two times higher in women than in men (P < 0.001). Adipose tissue secretion rate of leptin in men was two-thirds of that in women (P < 0.05). The gender differences in body fat content, serum leptin and leptin secretion were observed in obese (BMI > 27 kg m-2) as well as non-obese subjects. Serum leptin levels (P < 0.001) and leptin secretion rate (P < 0.01) correlated positively with body fat content in either sex. However, the gender differences in serum leptin (P < 0.001) and leptin secretion rate (P < 0.01) remained statistically significantly different even when the values were adjusted for body fat. CONCLUSION: The gender difference in circulating leptin concentrations can be due to at least two different mechanisms. A higher proportion of adipose tissue and increased production rate of leptin per unit mass of adipose tissue might explain why women have higher circulating leptin levels than men.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1995

Gender differences in schizophrenia.

In an assessment of gender differences in schizophrenia, 85 outpatients (53 men and 32 women) with schizophrenia were evaluated for illness history, symptom severity, IQ, neurocognitive status, cerebral volume loss, and cortical asymmetry. Social functioning was assessed using marital status, independent living skills, and employment status. Significant gender differences were found, as women were on lower doses of neuroleptic medications and more frequently met criteria for paranoid and disorganized subtypes of schizophrenia than men. Women also were better educated and more often married, living independently, and employed. No gender differences were found in present age, symptom severity, neurocognitive functioning, or clinical magnetic resonance imaging scan readings. Our findings suggest that women may experience less of the adverse interpersonal psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia than men, even when symptom and neurocognitive status is equivalent between groups. However, more extensive investigations are warranted to better understand the role of pathophysiological or social mechanisms in gender differences.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2001

Gender differences in poor outcome patients with lifelong schizophrenia.

Gender effects have been reported quite consistently in schizophrenia, with male patients having an earlier age of onset, poorer functional outcome, greater negative symptoms and cognitive impairment, and less severe positive symptoms. Because age of onset, cognitive impairments, and negative symptoms are all correlated with poorer functional status, it is not clear if previously reported gender differences in symptoms are just recapturing gender differences in functional outcome. In this study, 205 geriatric patients with lifelong poor-outcome schizophrenia (43% male) were examined for the severity of schizophrenic symptoms, cognitive impairments, and specific deficits in adaptive skills, as well as for demographic differences such as age at first psychiatric admission, premorbid education, and current treatment status. Previously reported gender differences were replicated in these patients with a uniformly poor functional outcome, with male patients having more severe negative symptoms and an earlier age of first psychiatric admission. No differences in cognitive functioning or specific functional deficits were found, however. These findings suggest that negative symptom severity is greater in male patients regardless of functional outcome and that the association of cognitive deficits with gender may be found only in patients with better functional outcome. The study of gender-related differences in brain structure or function and their interaction with overall course of illness might help understand these differences in symptom presentation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

1993 2003 gender differences in coronary artery revascularization: has anything changed?

BACKGROUND: Gender differences abound in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Most research was conducted in the early 1 990s. It is unknown if gender differences have diminished over time. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: To determine whether gender differences exist in the current era of CABG surgery by examining preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors known to affect outcomes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this descriptive, correlational study of all patients undergoing primary, isolated CABG at a large, urban Midwestern healthcare center, data in 1993 and 2003 were analyzed to determine if gender and time differences existed and if there was a time and gender interaction effect. Trained nurses prospectively collected data during the index hospitalization for the institution's Cardiovascular Information Registry. RESULTS: 2,200 patients were studied; women accounted for one-fourth of the sample. Age over 65 years; current smoking; presence of hypertension, cerebrovascular accident; and insulin-dependent diabetes; symptomatic heart failure and chest pain were significantly associated with female gender (all P' s < .001). Intraoperatively, internal mammary arteries were used less as a graft conduit in women (P < .001); gender differences were most pronounced in patients requiring 2 bypass grafts. Postoperatively, cardiac pump failure and median hospital stay were greater in women (both P' s < .001); however, both decreased over time. CONCLUSIONS: Gender differences continue to exist in patients undergoing CABG. Differences do not affect hospital mortality rates but play a role in hospital length of stay and may affect postdischarge recovery. Research targeted at modifiable preoperative factors may improve postoperative recovery.

Coronary Artery Bypass↗
PubMed2002

Gender differences in psychosocial reactions to cystic fibrosis carrier testing.

Gender differences involving genetic testing have become a topic of research as feminist critiques assert that women may be affected differently, and possibly more significantly, than men by genetic carrier testing information. It is possible that men and women differ in their reactions to learning whether they are or are not a carrier of a specific mutation. It is also possible that men and women may differ in their reactions to different methods of genetic testing. Data on gender differences in reactions to cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier testing in a high-risk population and to gender differences in reactions to home-based as opposed to clinic-based testing are reported. This analysis suggests that at least for CF carrier testing, men and women do differ in terms of their risk perceptions, negative psychological affect, perceptions about themselves, and the convenience of testing. However, there was only one difference between men's and women's reactions to the method of testing. A better understanding of gender differences in response to carrier testing, as well as to interactions between gender and methods of genetic testing, may inform better approaches to carrier testing and to considering alternative methods of such testing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Psychiatric co-morbidity and gender differences in intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: Although gender differences in psychopathology among the general psychiatric population appear to be well documented, such differences have been either ignored or inconsistently investigated among people with intellectual disability (ID). METHODS: The study examined psychiatric co- morbidity in 295 men and 295 women with ID and significant social impairments living in community settings. The sample was drawn from consecutive clinical referrals to a specialist mental heath service of South-East London. Psychiatric diagnoses were based on ICD-10 criteria. RESULTS: Personality disorder was more common among men, although dementia and adjustment reaction were more common among women. There were also gender differences in marital status, with a larger percentage of women being either married or in a stable relationship. Gender differences in the source of referral were also observed, with more women being referred through primary care and more men being referred through generic mental health services. CONCLUSIONS: Female patients seem to have at some extent different mental health needs from male patients. Such differences should be taken into account in the design and delivery of clinical service for people with ID.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Genome-wide estimation of gender differences in the gene expression of human livers: statistical design and analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gender differences in gene expression were estimated in liver samples from 9 males and 9 females. The study tested 31,110 genes for a gender difference using a design that adjusted for sources of variation associated with cDNA arrays, normalization, hybridizations and processing conditions. RESULTS: The genes were split into 2,800 that were clearly expressed (expressed genes) and 28,310 that had expression levels in the background range (not expressed genes). The distribution of p-values from the 'not expressed' group was consistent with no gender differences. The distribution of p-values from the 'expressed' group suggested that 8% of these genes differed by gender, but the estimated fold-changes (expression in males/expression in females) were small. The largest observed fold-change was 1.55. The 95% confidence bounds on the estimated fold-changes were less than 1.4 fold for 79.3%, and few (1.1%) exceed 2-fold. CONCLUSION: Observed gender differences in gene expression were small. When selecting genes with gender differences based upon their p-values, false discovery rates exceed 80% for any set of genes, essentially making it impossible to identify any specific genes with a gender difference.

Female↗
PubMed2003

Gender differences in burnout among Dutch dentists.

OBJECTIVES: Differences between the sexes in the manifestation of burnout have been reported for different occupational groups. Although some gender-specific explanations for this finding have been forwarded, there is a paucity of studies in which the relation with other work-related gender differences is examined. The objective of this study was to analyze gender differences in burnout among dentists and to identify possible concomitant factors. METHODS: Male (n = 411) and female (n = 81) Dutch dentists filled out the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) together with several health and work-related questionnaires. RESULTS: Results showed male dentists to report a higher score on the depersonalization dimension of the MBI than did female dentists. No gender differences were found on the other dimensions (i.e. emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment). Moreover, no gender-related differences in experienced work-stress or health-related aspects were found. It was found, however, that male dentists put in working hours and see more patients per week when compared to female dentists. Also, a difference in mean age was found. Our main finding was that the difference in depersonalization disappears when controlling for working hours and age. CONCLUSIONS: Gender differences in burnout among dentists do exist. However, our results indicate that underlying factors, such as working hours, have a profound effect on these differences. These results can have direct practical consequences, for instance, in distinguishing between groups concerning the way burnout scores should be interpreted.

Achievement↗
PubMed2002

Global and dimensional self-esteem in preadolescent and early adolescent children who are overweight: age and gender differences.

OBJECTIVE: To examine age and gender differences in global and dimensional self-esteem in children who are overweight. METHOD: As part of a pretreatment assessment, the Perceived Competence Scale for Children was completed by 121 children (ages 8-14) who were overweight and enrolling in a weight reduction program. RESULTS: Gender differences in general self-esteem and age differences in physical self-esteem were found. Also, girls who were highly overweight reported lower physical self-esteem than girls who were moderately overweight. However, for boys, the opposite pattern emerged. For both boys and girls, cognitive and social self-esteem predicted general self-esteem and physical self-esteem did not. DISCUSSION: Children who are overweight may emphasize dimensions of their self-esteem in nongender stereotyped ways that are protective of their general self-esteem. Understanding developmental trends and gender differences in self-esteem can enhance our ability to assist youth who are overweight in maintaining favorable self-evaluations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Hemisphere and gender differences in mental rotation.

Hemisphere and gender differences in mental rotation for tachistoscopically presented stimuli were assessed in 40 right-handed university students. Twenty male and 20 female subjects each were individually administered (via computer) a mental rotation task which included 10 stimulus presentations at each of eight angular disorientations (0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 135 degrees, 180 degrees, 225 degrees, 270 degrees, and 315 degrees) in each visual half-field (VHF) for a total of 160 trials. Analyses of variance performed on reaction time and accuracy data revealed only a main effect for orientation. A typical mental rotation function for both the left VHF and the right VHF for both genders resulted; however, no gender x visual field interaction was found. Lack of hemisphere and gender differences provide further evidence questioning the interpretation of right-hemisphere male superiority for spatial tasks. Investigation into factors such as task complexity, stimulus familiarity, and task demands may lend further insight into hemisphere and gender differences in mental rotation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Gender differences in body dysmorphic disorder.

Gender differences in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) have received little investigation. This study assessed gender differences in 188 subjects with BDD who were evaluated with instruments to assess demographic characteristics, clinical features of BDD, treatment history, and comorbid Axis I disorders. Ninety-three (49%) subjects were women, and 95 (51%) were men. Men and women did not significantly differ in terms of most variables examined, including rates of major depression, although women were more likely to be preoccupied with their hips and their weight, pick their skin and camouflage with makeup, and have comorbid bulimia nervosa. Men were more likely to be preoccupied with body build, genitals, and hair thinning, use a hat for camouflage, be unmarried, and have alcohol abuse or dependence. Although men were as likely as women to seek nonpsychiatric medical and surgical treatment, women were more likely to receive such care. Men, however, were as likely as women to have cosmetic surgery. Although the clinical features of BDD appear remarkably similar in women and men, there are some differences, some of which reflect those found in the general population, suggesting that cultural norms and values may influence the content of BDD symptoms.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1995

Gender differences in drug metabolism regulated by growth hormone.

Gender differences in drug metabolism in rats have been known for more than 60 years when it was first reported that the much shorter duration of drug action in the male was due to the effects of testicular androgens. More recent studies have demonstrated that this sexual dimorphism in rat drug metabolism results from the differential expression of a possible dozen, or so sex-dependent hepatic forms of cytochrome P450. Moreover, it is the sexually dimorphic plasma profiles of growth hormone, and not androgens, that directly regulate the expression of these individual forms of hepatic cytochrome P450. Male rats secrete growth hormone in an "on-off" episodic rhythm in which interpulse periods contain no detectable levels of the hormone. Growth hormone secretion in the female rat is also pulsatile, but can be characterized as "continuous" since hormone levels are always present in the circulation. It would appear that the duration of the interpulse period is at least one "signal" in the growth hormone profile regulating hepatic expression of the sex-dependent forms of cytochrome P450, and thus establishing the gender differences in drug metabolism. The exaggerated gender differences in rat drug metabolism (i.e. 300-500%) have made it the standard, and understandably an ideal model in which to investigate the mechanisms regulating these dimorphisms. However, it is also possible that these studies have limited value when extrapolated to other species, such as humans, in which the magnitude of the sexual differences are much smaller, and the dimorphism may be reversed (F > M). In this regard, the mouse model, in which the sexual differences (F > M) in drug metabolizing enzyme activities vary by only 40-100%, are also regulated by sex-dependent plasma growth hormone profiles, and may be more representative of the vast majority of outbred species in which only subtle gender differences occur in drug metabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Gender differences in the prevalence of DSM-IV and ICD-10 PTSD.

BACKGROUND: Gender differences in the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder were examined by analysing discrepancies between the DSM-IV and ICD-10 diagnostic systems. METHOD: Data from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being (n=10641) were analysed at the diagnostic, criterion and symptom level for DSM-IV and ICD-10 PTSD for males versus females. RESULTS: While there was a significant gender difference in the prevalence of PTSD for ICD-10, no such difference was found for DSM-IV. The pattern of gender difference at the diagnostic level was mirrored in the pattern of gender differences at the criterion level for both DSM-IV and ICD-10. Females only endorsed three symptoms at a significantly higher rate than males. For all other symptoms, endorsement was equal. This apparently small gender difference at the symptom level was sufficient to cause the gender difference at the diagnostic level for ICD-10, but not DSM-IV because of the different manner in which symptoms are configured into criteria in each of the diagnostic systems. CONCLUSIONS: Gender differences in ICD-10 PTSD but not in DSM PTSD diagnoses are attributable in this study to different patterns of endorsement of symptoms by males and females. Possible reasons for the differential endorsement of symptoms and implications for the use of epidemiological instruments are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Gender differences in cancer of the larynx.

Gender differences in the incidence and mortality rates for cancers of the lung, colon, and larynx have previously been noted. The goal of this project was to identify gender differences in prognostic variables for survival and recurrence for patients with cancer of the larynx. The medical records of 193 patients with cancer of the larynx treated initially between 1973 and 1985 were examined retrospectively. A total of 151 men and 42 women were included. A majority of men developed glottic cancers, whereas a majority of women developed supraglottic cancers. Age was prognostically important for both genders; however, comorbidity, symptom severity, anatomic subsite, and TNM stage all had different impacts on survival and recurrence in men and women. No gender difference in initial treatment was found. This study suggests that when designing and analyzing the results from clinical studies of cancer of the larynx, it is important to employ stratification based on gender.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Social comparison, self-stereotyping, and gender differences in self-construals.

Four studies examined gender differences in self-construals and the role of social comparison in generating these differences. Consistent with previous research, Study 1 (N=461) showed that women define themselves as higher in relational interdependence than men, and men define themselves as higher in independence/agency than women. Study 2 (N=301) showed that within-gender social comparison decreases gender differences in self-construals relative to a control condition, whereas between-genders comparison increases gender differences on both relational interdependence and independence/agency. Studies 3 (N=169) and 4 (N=278) confirmed these findings and showed that changing self-construal changes gender differences in social dominance orientation. Across the 4 studies, strong evidence for the role of in-group stereotyping as mediator of the effect of gender on self-construal was observed on the relational dimension but not on the agentic dimension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Women as dental patients: are there any gender differences?

There is an increasing awareness that gender differences affect both health and disease. This review looks at gender differences as they pertain to the mouth. Not only does pregnancy, the menstrual cycle and the menopause affect the oral tissues but there are also gender differences in regard to patterns of dental disease as women access dental care differently and react to health promotion in a more positive manner. Women live longer and are therefore more likely to be on drugs which complicate treatment. Care must also be taken in prescribing drugs during pregnancy and lactation and attention must be paid to the interaction of drugs with oral contraceptives. Certain systemic diseases such as Sjögrens syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and anorexia nervosa which have specific oral manifestations are especially common in women. Although oral cancer is mainly a problem among men the rise in smoking among young women poses a problem for the future. HIV/AIDS can be diagnosed on the basis of oral lesions and this may be of great importance in the event of a pregnancy. Although facial pain and facial arthromyalgia (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) pain are common in the population, women come forward for treatment much more frequently. Burning syndrome is especially common among post menopausal women and urgently needs more research.

Burning Mouth Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Gender differences in cognition in schizophrenia.

Gender differences in cognition were investigated in schizophrenic inpatients and outpatients using the Dementia Rating Scale. Females displayed greater impairment on Attention and Conceptualization than males. Gender interacted with patient group for construction: females performed worse than males among inpatients and better among outpatients. Results may be related to the atypically early age of onset of females relative to males; attention to sampling and selection biases is needed in evaluating gender differences in cognition in schizophrenia.

Adult↗