The ‘male flu’ is a term that the Anglo-Saxon community has adopted as a cold or minor ailment experienced by men and whose symptoms are ‘exaggerated’ . In fact, these definitions have been integrated into the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries.
To date, it has not been questioned whether the myth that the male gender complains more than necessary when suffering from the flu is ‘pure story’ or, in fact, there is a scientific explanation for it.
Now, thanks to numerous tests and studies, the possibility of an empirical answer to this fact arises. At the moment, there seems to be evidence that it is a matter of lower immune defense in men .
Based on research carried out with rodents, females do have a higher response in their defenses. Although the why is not detailed. According to scientists, it may be due to the effect of female hormones or their greater ability to withstand stress (thanks to their level of corticosterone, one of the main hormones released in response to this stimulus).
Also, it has been experimented through an in vitro study, through human cells infected with the type A influenza virus, or commonly called influenza. The results revealed that exposure to estradiol (a female sex steroid hormone) decreased influenza A levels in tissues from female donors, but not in male donors. This difference was not seen between postmenopausal women and men with the same age range.
Applying the data in humans
To corroborate the above evidence, human practice is necessary. As reference studies, we find, on the one hand, epidemiological data collected in Hong Kong between 2004 and 2010 on seasonal flu. This showed that men had a higher rate of hospitalization than women.
In the US, an observational study on mortality from influenza type A between 1997 and 2007 also found that men had a higher death rate than women of the same age, regardless of the parallel disease they suffered.
Some research suggests that women respond better to flu shots, and others suggest that men are more susceptible to complications and even death during heart disease.
From joke to possible reality
The World Health Organization has wanted to get involved in this enigma and ensures that sex should be considered when evaluating flu exposure and results .
There are scientists such as Restif O. and Amos W., who through their study, ‘Specific immunological defenses in sex’, explain that the male strategy of intrasexual competition over women has led to less investment in immunity . That is, for an evolutionary issue, man has improved other skills.
Despite the many results and different opinions, the clinical veracity of these hypotheses has not yet been proven . What experts do agree on is that additional, higher-quality research is needed to clarify other aspects of the male flu.
