Random Diseases Affect Men More Than Women (12 items)

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  (#11) Hemophilia

  Hemophilia, when blood doesn't clot as it should, is caused by a genetic mutation. The genes that control blood clotting are on the X chromosome. Men are much more likely to get hemophilia. In fact, it's pretty rare that a female has it.

  For example, if a father's XY chromosomes do not have hemophilia, but the mother is a carrier, there is a 50% chance the son will have hemophilia and a 50% the daughter will be a carrier, but a 0% chance that she actually has the condition. 

  The condition overall is rare, though. It occurs in one in 5,000 male births. 20,000 men in the US have hemophilia. When women do have a problem with blood clotting, it's usually von Willebrand disease.
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  (#12) Flu

  If you're a woman who is with a man, it's completely possible you think he overreacts whenever he's sick. Somehow, a common cold becomes a life-or-death situation. 

  However, "man flu" may actually be a real thing. Men are more susceptible to respiratory problems in general, and their immune systems could be weaker than women's; estrogen protects the immune system and testosterone actually suppresses it. It's also possible women respond better to vaccines.
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  (#6) Heart Disease

  Though heart disease is the number one cause of death for both sexes, men can get heart disease much earlier than women can; the scales tip around age 55.

  Some say it's stress-related, as men may not have ways to express stress like women feel comfortable doing. Abdominal fat is also linked to heart disease; though obesity in general is linked to heart disease, abdominal fat is particularly dangerous for men. 

  One 2008 study indicated that hormones could make men more predisposed to heart disease at a young age; higher estrogen levels in men were associated with the bad type of cholesterol (the reverse also proved true, that low estrogen levels were linked with the good type of cholesterol). So, a man could be at an increased risk for heart disease well before any symptoms show up. 
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  (#7) Lung cancer

  • Nail clubbing, Dyspnea, Cachexia, Dysphagia, Fatigue, Hemoptysis, Dysphonia, Wheeze, Cough, Chest pain

  In 2018, there were about 10,000 more men than women who were diagnosed with lung cancer, and about 15,000 more men died from it. A man has a one in 15 chance of getting lung cancer, whereas a woman has a one in 17 chance. Smoking increases the risk for both sexes. 

  About 90% of men who get lung cancer have formerly or are currently smoking, whereas this is true for only about 80% of women who get lung cancer. Likewise, the survival rate for men is lower than it is for women. Black men are 20% more likely than white men to get lung cancer. 

  But why is lung cancer more deadly for men? It could be related to lifestyle factors, but women can have the same unhealthy habits as a man and still not be as susceptible.

  Some experts suspect this sad statistic could simply be because men are more apt to ignore health problems than women. David Foreman, information lead of the National Cancer Intelligence Network, said,  "Men have a reputation for having a 'stiff upper lip' and not being as health-conscious as women." 
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  (#9) Autism

  • Self-harm, Restricted behavior, Stereotypy, Ritualistic behavior, Compulsive behavior

  Boys are five times more likely than girls to have autism; the condition affects one in 42 boys. A 2009 survey in England indicated that 1.8% of men and boys had autism, whereas only .2% of women and girls had autism. Even though girls are less likely to have autism, it's more likely to be severe when they do. 

  This disparity in autism diagnoses could be due to the fact women and girls hide their symptoms better than men and boys do; multiple experts have said autistic women and girls are never even tested for autism. The fact that the number of women and girls being diagnosed with autism has increased over the years suggests this theory could be true.

  But is there a medical cause behind why boys are more likely to get autism? Maybe. Genes for autism are located on the X chromosome; girls inherit one from each parent, and it's possible that the gene from a girl's father protects her from autism in some way. However, this is just a hypothesis.   
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  (#8) Liver Disease

  The differences between liver problems in men and women are complicated. Generally speaking, women are more likely to suffer from the adverse effects of alcohol, as they are usually smaller and have less body water. One expert said a woman will experience double the effects a man does from the same amount of alcohol. 

  However, men are more likely to get liver cancer than women. Heptocellular carcinoma, or HCC, comprises most liver cancer diagnoses (it can be caused by heptitis B or C, alcohol, or other factors). Men are 60-80% more likely to get HCC, and people under 50, the chances are even worse - men are seven to 10 times more likely get HCC. 

  It's possible men are more prone to liver cancer than women because women have less of a certain protein. A UCSD Department of Medicine study found that after inducing cancer in mice, 100% of male mice got HCC and only 10-20% of females did. They pinned this on a protein called IL-6, which female mice produced less of than the male mice. When they eliminated IL-6 in male mice, the rates of HCC dropped to the equivalent to that of the female mice. 

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