Not accounting for sex differences in Covid research could be deadly

Analysis suggests too little attention is paid to gender disparities in medical trialsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHistorically, medical research has often taken a one-size-fits-all approach, lumping women and men together despite growing evidence that the sexes differ in how they catch and fight disease.A stark example was the heart drug digoxin, which was widely marketed in the late 1990s on the basis of a trial that showed it to beeffective and safe. But over time a higher incidence of side-effects in women emerged. When the same dataset wasanalysed on the basis of sex, it showed digoxin decreased mortality in men – but increased mortality in women.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Medical research Gender Coronavirus outbreak Infectious diseases Science World news Microbiology Source Type: news