What studies reveal about sex and gender differences in health and science

May is Women’s Health Month + celebrations will soon center on the fun fiascos of parenthood. So this week, we reveal a few health findings separating the sexes—including disparities in healthcare funding + why (some) men mansplain sports to pro women athletes. But first…

• The Checkup: all-body goodness
• The Battle For... mortality + $$ + sportsplaining
• Healthcare: bird flu vaccines + aging brains + cyberattack findings

The Checkup

• Why bird flu + poultry monopolies = 🥚 $$
• How to try foods full of healthy flavanols 
• Essay inspo on the joy of an unplugged run
• Dietitians dish on TikTok’s okra water trend
• How to prevent + heal common knee injuries 
• Here’s how to minimize sunny melasma spots  
• Do this short workout while wearing a baby!
• John Oliver explains the Medicaid unwinding
• 14 reasons why your belly gets bloated
• Ugh—so that’s why ears get so itchy!

Living longer... ill?

You may already be aware that females generally live longer than males. But a new study details that while they live longer, they do so in poorer health.

Males are at higher risk for premature mortality from things like heart disease, stroke + road injuries. Females are more likely to get headaches, depression + musculoskeletal disorders—conditions you can suffer from for a long time. The study authors hope more gendered research could reduce early mortality in males + improve treatments for females.

But speaking of gendered research funding…

The gender $ divide

This month, Nature (a leading science journal) launches another Sex and gender in science series. Their gripping 2023 report on sex + disease funding is worth a review.

The scroll-animated chart contains circles with sizes representing disease burden—the amount of death + disability the disease causes—and colors showing whether the disease affects males + females equally or disproportionately.

As you scroll, you learn how disease burden is often not in line with how much funding a condition receives. Then, how some conditions that affect more males than females (like HIV/AIDS + substance abuse) receive more funding than their burden suggests, whereas high-burden conditions that affect females (like headaches + depression) fall way down the list.

Finally, the chart highlights extreme burden-to-funding ratios. HIV/AIDs' 15.6 ratio means it’s way overfunded compared to population need. (Something to celebrate, considering where we started!) For myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), the ratio is 0.04—so we should basically be throwing dollars at it.

Scroll through the report to see this for yourself.

Average men vs. professional women?

According to Self, no massive women’s NCAA basketball championship viewership can stop “random dudes” from offering unsolicited sports advice to professional athletes who happen to be women.

Unfortunately, psychology doesn’t offer any explanation beyond 'men are taught to be over-confident + women to be accommodating.' Sure, this may be true. And internet comment sections were practically made for anonymous bravado, which can encourage unqualified chest-puffing IRL. And, yes—societally, we still don’t encourage men to invest in fostering emotional intelligence as we encourage women, so many don’t have the skills to read social cues + adjust their behavior.

So, what does the Self psychologist suggest men do when face-to-face with a pro athlete instead of sportsplaining to her? Head to the article to find out.

Healthcare 411

Launching an effective bird flu vaccine quickly could be tough, scientists warn (NPR). The current bird flu stain would have to drastically mutate in order to easily transmit between humans. But health officials are already working on a vaccine, and some claim current contenders could be quickly produced at mass scale if needed. Others doubt their future efficacy + say investment in new mRNA vaccines should take priority. In the short term, protecting farm workers should take precedence.

A peek inside the brains of ‘super-agers’ (NY Times). Comparing super-agers (octogenarians with the brains of 50/60-year-olds) with their typical counterparts, a new study shows super-agers had slightly better blood pressure, glucose metabolism levels + mobility. They weren’t more active but had been more active during middle age. A prior study didn’t find  lifestyle difference but did find super-agers had strong social relationships.

A third of Americans could have had data stolen in big health care hack (CNN). Last February, the “most significant health care cyberattack in US history” on Change Healthcare (a UnitedHealth subsidiary) was settled through a $22 million ransom. Now, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty has admitted that a poorly protected server is why a third of all Americans had their personal data included.