All articles tagged with #sex differences
A Science Signaling study shows acetate, a by-product of metabolism, enhances long-term memory in female mice by promoting histone acetylation and upregulating learning-related genes in the dorsal hippocampus; the effect is minimal in males and requires concurrent learning activity.
A study of 1,286 people aged 8–100 using MRI finds sex differences in brain connectivity are minimal in early life but widen at puberty and persist into adulthood, in both structural and functional networks. The timing roughly tracks sex-hormone changes and may relate to differing risks of mental-health disorders between men and women. The work is a bioRxiv preprint and relies on birth sex data; some scientists caution that differences may reflect gender roles or a mosaic of brain features rather than a binary sex, so conclusions are preliminary.
Using nearly 800 prenatal and postnatal brain scans, Cambridge researchers mapped brain growth from mid‑pregnancy to the first month after birth and found sex differences emerge before birth, with male brains showing greater overall growth. White matter drives mid‑pregnancy growth while grey matter dominates late pregnancy and after birth, and subcortical grey matter peaks earlier than cortical regions. The team plans to test whether prenatal sex hormones contribute, with potential relevance to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism.
A large analysis of the CARDIA study followed more than 5,000 adults for up to 30 years and found that men develop cardiovascular disease about seven years earlier than women, with the biggest gap in coronary heart disease (roughly a decade earlier). Stroke and heart failure occur at similar ages between sexes. The gap persists even after adjusting for common risk factors, suggesting additional biological or social factors may contribute. The findings support earlier heart-health screening for men in their 30s while recognizing that women's risk remains high, especially after menopause, and the study has limitations inherent to observational research.
A UK Biobank study of 61,290 MRI scans used surface-to-surface analysis to link gluteus maximus morphology to type 2 diabetes risk, finding men with T2D tend to have a flattened, atrophied glute, while women show outward bulging from fat deposition. Larger gluteus maximus at baseline linked to lower future diabetes risk after adjusting for age, BMI, and lifestyle. The findings suggest muscle phenotype, not just quantity, matters for diabetes risk and could inform clinical assessments, though MRI-based shape analysis is not scalable for routine care and requires further longitudinal validation.
A study reveals that PTSD has different biological roots in men and women, with men showing deficits in stress-regulating lipids and women exhibiting heightened systemic inflammation, suggesting the need for sex-specific treatments.
A study suggests microplastics may contribute to heart disease, with male mice showing increased artery plaque buildup, indicating potential sex-specific vulnerability and raising concerns about microplastics' health impacts on humans.
Research from McGill University shows that nerve injuries can cause widespread immune changes throughout the body, with different responses observed between males and females, potentially influencing chronic pain and other health issues.
A study suggests that an X-linked gene called KDM6A, which is more active in women, may contribute to higher rates of multiple sclerosis in women by promoting brain inflammation. Deleting this gene in female mice reduced symptoms, and the drug metformin showed potential in calming inflammation, indicating sex-specific treatment possibilities.
A large genetics study reveals women have more genetic risk variants for major depressive disorder than men, with stronger links to metabolic traits, helping to understand sex-specific aspects of depression and guiding future treatments.
A study analyzing over 12,000 brain scans found that male brains tend to shrink faster than female brains with age, with men showing more decline in various brain regions, though women may experience faster hippocampal decline later in life. The research highlights significant sex differences in brain aging, emphasizing the need for more gender-focused studies in neuroscience.
A large MRI study found that men's brains shrink faster than women's during aging, suggesting that age-related brain volume loss does not explain why women are more frequently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, prompting further research into other factors like susceptibility and survival differences.
Research shows that female animals generally live longer than males, with patterns varying across species and environments. In mammals, females tend to outlive males due to genetic and reproductive factors, especially in the wild, while in birds, males often have the longevity advantage, possibly due to reproductive costs borne by females. These differences are influenced by genetics, sexual selection, and ecological pressures, and are not universal but context-dependent.
A comprehensive study suggests that female mammals generally live longer than males due to factors like sexual behavior and genetic differences, with variations observed across species and environments, highlighting complex evolutionary and reproductive influences on longevity.
Research from UT Health San Antonio suggests that ketogenic diets may cause harmful cellular changes in male mice but not females, with estrogen providing protective effects, highlighting potential sex-specific responses to the diet.