English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
Esperanto
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
UrduAmong young adults who frequently use cannabis, drinking alcohol is linked to intensified cannabis cravings in men and reduced cannabis cravings in women, a novel study suggests. The findings potentially illuminate mechanisms driving the combined use of the two substances and could inform sex-specific approaches to preventing or addressing the resulting harms. Young adults commonly use alcohol and cannabis together (i.e., co-use), and people who use both substances experience more negative consequences—including worse outcomes for alcohol use disorder treatment—than those who use one or the other. Co-use may be partially driven “cross-substance-induced” craving, in which the repeated co-use of two substances prompts one to become a trigger for the other. Research on this effect involving alcohol and cannabis—previously limited to laboratory testing and remote monitoring—has hinted at sex differences in these effects. For the study in Alcohol: Clinical Experimental Research, investigato
Tag: Sex Differences
Brain Shows Changes in Regions Associated with Anxiety after Quitting Alcohol
Certain regions of the brain show changes during the early stages after quitting drinking that may contribute to increased anxiety and relapse rates in people attempting recovery from alcohol use disorder, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Exercise More, Sit Less to Manage Frailty and Hypertension Risk in Aging
A new study of middle-age and older adults looks at sex differences in frailty levels and their link with heart health. The findings suggest that moving your body more through regular exercise and sitting less can help keep both heart disease and frailty at bay as we age.
Researchers find key differences in brain development between autistic boys and girls
A new study by UC Davis researchers finds key differences in the development of the cortex between autistic boys and girls ages 2-13.
Women less likely to be routed to comprehensive stroke centers for large vessel acute ischemic stroke, according to UTHealth Houston research
Despite having worse stroke symptoms and living within comparable distances to comprehensive stroke centers, women with large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke are less likely to be routed to the centers compared to men, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston.
Sex Differences in Fat Storage during Military Training Help Women Preserve Lean Mass
Article title: Sex differences in body composition and serum metabolome responses to sustained, physical training suggest enhanced fat oxidation in women compared with men Authors: Meaghan E. Beckner, Lauren Thompson, Patrick N. Radcliffe, Rebecca Cherian, Marques Wilson, Nicholas Barringer, Lee…
Gene Expression in Kidneys Is Regulated by the Microbiome in Sex- and Tissue-specific Ways
Article title: Commensal microbiota regulate renal gene expression in a sex-specific manner Authors: Brittni N. Moore and Jennifer L. Pluznick From the authors: “This report demonstrates that renal gene expression is modulated by the microbiome in a sex- and tissue-specific…
Women Have Less Age-related Decrease of Gray Matter in Brain than Men
Article title: Differential reduction of gray matter volume with age in 35 cortical areas in men (more) and women (less) Authors: Peka Christova and Apostolos P. Georgopoulos From the authors: “This study showed an overall decrease of cortical gray matter…
Researchers Explore Sex Differences in Cardiovascular and Congenital Heart Diseases in People with Down Syndrome
Article title: Sex differences in cardiovascular disease and dysregulation in Down syndrome Authors: Melissa L. Bates, Anastasiia Vasileva, Laura D.M. Flores, Yana Pryakhina, Michelle Buckman, Michael H. Tomasson, Lara R. DeRuisseau From the authors: “Based on the results of our…
Are there sex-based differences in brain development during early childhood?
New research published in Human Brain Mapping reveals sex differences and developmental changes in the brain’s white matter—which provides communication between different parts of the brain—in healthy, typically developing infants and 5-year-olds.
People Exposed to Alcohol Prenatally Experience Significant Challenges, Types of Adversity Differ by Sex
In a recent analysis, researchers found sex differences in the health and neurodevelopmental outcomes of people exposed to alcohol before birth.
Sex Plays a Role in Lung Cell Development after High Oxygen Exposure
Article title: Remarkable sex-specific differences at single-cell resolution in neonatal hyperoxic lung injury Authors: Abiud Cantu, Connor Leek, Eniko Sajti, Krithika Lingappan, Manuel C. Gutierrez, Xiaoyu Dong From the authors: “Exploring the basis behind sex-specific differences will be crucial to…
Study Explores Sex Differences in the Effects of SARS-CoV-2 in Young Adults
Suggests a more proactive, innate immune response among females
Hormone therapy could lower risk of immunotherapy-associated myocarditis in women
A new preclinical study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has discovered the underlying cause of gender differences in immunotherapy-associated myocarditis after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. Their findings point to possible treatment strategies for this side effect, which disproportionately affects female patients.
Biological Sex, Heart Disease Risk Factors Can Influence Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness Level and Brain Blood Flow
Article title: Influence of sex and presence of cardiovascular risk factors on relations between cardiorespiratory fitness and cerebrovascular hemodynamics Authors: Wesley K. Lefferts, Cynthia M. Weiner, Sara E. Mascone, Jacqueline A. Augustine, Kevin S. Heffernan, Elizabeth C. Lefferts From the…
McCullough honored with 2022 American Heart Association Basic Research Prize
In acknowledgment of her research advancing the field of cardiovascular science, UTHealth Houston’s Louise McCullough, MD, PhD, has been honored with the 2022 American Heart Association Basic Research Prize.
Gestational Exposure to Flame Retardant Alters Brain Development in Rats
Exposure in utero to the flame retardant FireMaster® 550 (FM 550), or to its individual brominated (BFR) or organophosphate ester (OPFR) components, resulted in altered brain development in newborn rats.
Sex Differences in Aging Include Varied Gene Expression, Splicing Changes
Article title: Proteogenomics reveals sex-biased aging genes and coordinated splicing in cardiac aging Authors: Yu Han, Sara A. Wennersten, Julianna M. Wright, R. W. Ludwig, Edward Lau, Maggie P. Y. Lam From the authors: “In summary, this study shows that…
Yes, men run faster than women, but over shorter distances — not by much
Conventional wisdom holds that men run 10-12 percent faster than women regardless of the distance raced. But new research suggests that the between-sex performance gap is much narrower at shorter sprint distances.
Rare Human Gene Variant in ADHD, Autism Exposes Fundamental Sex Differences
Key differences in male and female mice brains provide new insights into how sex determines the mechanisms by which distinct synapses monitor and regulate dopamine signaling. The impact of sex differences is particularly pronounced when the mice express a human genetic variant found in boys with either ADHD or autism. Behavioral generalizations across the sexes may limit diagnosis of mental illness, especially if one sex translates alterations into outward signs such as hyperactivity and aggression vs. more internal manifestations such as learning, memory and mood, even when the same molecular pathology is at work.
Drugs Effects of Ketamine in Mice can Depend on the Sex of the Human Experimenter
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have shown that mice respond more to the antidepressant effects of the drug ketamine when administered by men and not by women. The group demonstrated that a stress response detected in the mouse’s brain from handling by a man is essential for ketamine to work.
Heart of Aging Female Mice Produce More Collagen than Males, Develops More Scarring
Article title: Sex-specific phenotypes in the aging mouse heart and consequences for chronic fibrosis Authors: Aude Angelini, Jesus Ortiz-Urbina, JoAnn Trial, Anilkumar K. Reddy, Anna Malovannaya, Antrix Jain, Mark L. Entman, George E. Taffet, Katarzyna A. Cieslik From the authors:…
Analysis reveals sex differences in the recognition, monitoring, and treatment of chronic kidney disease
Among adults in Stockholm, Sweden with low kidney function suggestive of chronic kidney disease in 2009–2017, women were less likely than men to receive a diagnostic code related to kidney disease, be referred to a nephrologist, have their kidney function monitored, and receive guideline-recommended medications.
WVU researcher says gene discovery may lead to new tests, treatments for Alzheimer’s in women
Women make up two-thirds of Americans who have Alzheimer’s disease, yet scientists have yet to determine what makes them so susceptible to the condition. Bernard Schreurs, a researcher with the West Virginia University School of Medicine and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, directs the West Virginia Alzheimer’s…
What Causes the Brain’s Emotional Hub to Switch to Negative States?
Alcohol can change the pattern of activity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in a mouse model, essentially telling the brain to change emotions, according to a study led by Tufts neuroscientists. Some of the same research team is also looking at the BLA for relevance for fear response.
Reversal of Heart Enlargement Differs in the Sexes; Doesn’t Use Universal Signaling Pathways
Article title: Regression from pathological hypertrophy in mice is sexually dimorphic and stimulus-specific Authors: Deanna L. Muehleman, Claudia Crocini, Alison R. Swearingen, Christopher D. Ozeroff, Leslie A. Leinwand From the authors: “This work highlights that the reversal of pathological hypertrophy…
Sex Differences in Rat Heart Ventricle Function Aren’t Caused Only by Hormones
Article title: Female rats are less prone to clinical heart failure than male rats in a juvenile rat model of right ventricular pressure load Authors: Guido P.L. Bossers, Quint A.J. Hagdorn, Anne Marie C. Koop, Diederik E. van der Feen,…
When it Comes to Preventing Alzheimer’s, Women and Men are Not Created Equal
A study is the first to examine if sex significantly affects cognitive outcomes in people who follow individually-tailored, multi-domain clinical interventions. The study also determined whether change in risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), along with blood markers of AD risk, also were affected by sex. Results showed that while care in an Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic setting is equally effective at improving cognitive function in both women and men, the personally-tailored interventions used by the researchers led to greater improvements in women compared to men across AD and CVD disease risk scales, as well blood biomarkers of risk such as blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and the diabetes test HbA1C. Findings are important because women are disproportionately affected by AD and population-attributable risk models suggest that managing risk factors can prevent up to one-third of dementia cases.
Parents’ Obesity Causes Heart Dysfunction in Male Rats Soon after Birth
Article title: Sex differences in the impact of parental obesity on offspring cardiac SIRT3 expression, mitochondrial efficiency, and diastolic function early in life Authors: Jussara M. do Carmo, Ana C. M. Omoto, Xuemei Dai, Sydney P. Moak, Gabriela S. Mega,…
Stress at Work and at Home Increases Risk of Depression in U.S. Workers
Job strain and family strain are found to be linked to major depressive episodes and may have different effects on men and women, according to a study from UCLA researchers published in the August edition of the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
Women: Lower-fat Diet Key to Liver Health Following Weight-loss Surgery
Research suggests that women who have weight loss surgery need to reduce the amount of fat they eat after surgery to reap the full benefit of the procedure and protect their liver function. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism.
When seeing is believing
Being able to vividly imagine graduating college predicts grade point average and whether a student continues in a STEM or business degree program, according to a longitudinal study from Arizona State University. The study also found sex differences between how men and women visualized their post-graduation goals: Men increased the level of detail, but women remained stagnant. These findings could have implications for why women are underrepresented in STEM and business careers.
Brain Disease Research Reveals Differences Between Sexes
In APL Bioengineering, University of Maryland scientists highlight a growing body of research suggesting sex differences play roles in how patients respond to brain diseases, as well as multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, and other brain ailments. They are urging their colleagues to remember those differences when researching treatments and cures.
March Special Issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology Focuses on Women’s Health in Gastroenterology and Hepatology
The March issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology features new clinical research involving sex and gender, including effects of GI and liver conditions on pregnancy, gender disparities in diet and nutrition, Barrett’s esophagus incidence in women with scleroderma, factors influencing whether women pursue advanced endoscopy careers, endoscopy-related musculoskeletal injuries, sex hormone association with increased prevalence of certain types of cancer, and more.
Menopausal Changes May Increase Taste for Fat, Drive Weight Gain
A new study in mice suggests that declining estrogen levels lower the taste buds’ sensitivity to fats, which may drive a heightened appetite for fatty foods—and weight gain—after menopause.
Postmenopausal Estrogen Drop May Increase Taste for Fat, Drive Weight Gain
Article title: Sex differences in fat taste responsiveness are modulated by estradiol Authors: Naima S. Dahir, Ashley N. Calder, Blake J. McKinley, Yan Liu, Timothy A. Gilbertson From the authors: “Overall, our results validate that steroid hormones influence taste-guided behaviors…
Testosterone May Contribute to More Severe COVID-19 Disease
New research suggests that levels of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone could contribute to infection risk and severity of COVID-19.
MRI Finds Circadian Variations in Men’s and Women’s Renal Blood Flow
Article title: Circadian variation in renal blood flow and kidney function in healthy volunteers monitored with noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging Authors: Per Eckerbom, Peter Hansell, Eleanor Cox, Charlotte Buchanan, Jan Weis, Fredrik Palm, Susan Francis, Per Liss From the authors: “In…
Sex Hormones Contribute to Sex Differences in COVD-19
Article title: Sex steroids skew ACE2 expression in human airway: a contributing factor to sex differences in COVID-19? Authors: Rama Satyanarayana Raju Kalidhindi, Niyati A. Borkar, Nilesh Sudhakar Ambhore, Christina M. Pabelick, Y. S. Prakash, Venkatachalem Sathish From the authors:…
Mouse Study Explores Effect of Elastin Content on Age-related Vascular Remodeling
Article title: Elastin haploinsufficiency in mice has divergent effects on arterial remodeling with aging depending on sex Authors: Jie Z. Hawes, Austin Cocciolone, Amy H. Cui, Diana B. Griffin, Marius Catalin Staiculescu, Robert P. Mecham, Jessica E Wagenseil From the…
Sleep Apnea Does Not Raise Blood Pressure in Young Women
Article title: Sex differences in integrated neuro-cardiovascular control of blood pressure following acute intermittent hypercapnic-hypoxia Authors:Dain W. Jacob, Elizabeth P. Ott, Sarah E. Baker, Zachariah M. Scruggs, Clayton L. Ivie, Jennifer L. Harper, Camila M. Manrique-Acevedo, Jaqueline K. Limberg From…
Study Reveals Mechanisms that May Drive Sex Differences in Diuretic Response
Article title: Distal convoluted tubule sexual dimorphism revealed by advanced 3D imaging Authors: Ebrahim Tahaei, Richard Coleman, Turgay Saritas, David H. Ellison, Paul A. Welling From the authors: “Female mice expressed a greater density of [sodium cotransporters] in a shorter…
MicroRNA Variation in Circulation Could Explain Sex Differences in Heart Health
Article title: Sex-specific alterations in blood-borne factors in physically inactive individuals are detrimental to endothelial cell functions Authors: Ryan M. Sapp, Rian Q. Landers-Ramos, Daniel D. Shill, Catherine B. Springer, James M. Hagberg From the authors: “Our data suggest alterations in…
Genetic differences in fat shape men and women’s health risks
New findings about body fat help explain the differing health risks men and women face – and set the stage for better, more targeted treatments.
Exercise Makes Female Rats Hungrier, Sustains Weight Gain
Sex differences play a large role in the relationship between exercise, appetite and weight loss, according to new research in rats. The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
Exercise Makes Female Rats Hungrier, Leads to Weight Gain
Article title: Compensatory eating behaviors in male and female rats in response to exercise training Authors: Rebecca M. Foright, Ginger C. Johnson, Darcy Kahn, Catherine A. Charleston, David M. Presby, Courtney A. Bouchet, Elizabeth A. Wellberg, Vanessa D. Sherk, Matthew…
SARS-CoV-2 is More Severe in Men, Emerging Data Suggests in New Review by Mount Sinai Researchers
Senior Author: Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, Chair of the Department of Urology at the Mount Sinai Health System, Professor, Urology, Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai First Author: Dimple Chakravarty, PhD, Assistant Professor, Urology, Icahn School of Medicine…
Estrogen’s Regulation of ACE2 Expression in Lungs Could Explain COVID-19 Sex Differences
Article title: Estrogen regulates the expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 in differentiated airway epithelial cells Authors: Kimberly E. Stelzig, Fabrizio Canepa-Escaro, Marta Schiliro, Sergejs Berdnikovs, Y. S. Prakash, Sergio E. Chiarella From the authors: “Given the striking sexual dimorphism in the COVID-19…
Older Males May Have Weaker Thirst Perception, Higher Dehydration Risk
New research in rats suggests sex hormones and age play a role in dehydration differences in men and women. The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
Kidney Replacement Therapy Rates Have Remained Higher in Men Vs. Women for Decades
Highlights
• Rates for all types of kidney replacement therapy in European countries were consistently higher in men than women from 1965 to 2015.
• Male-to-female ratios increased with age, showing consistency over decades and for individual countries, despite changes in the causes of kidney disease.
• The male-to-female ratio was higher for kidney transplantation in diabetic patients.