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Medicines work differently for women!
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It is not only the course of illnesses that can differ in men and women – but also the effects of drugs. But research is lagging behind on the subject.
If your husband has ever had the famous man’s cold, you know how miserable our loved ones can be. But the phenomenon is not entirely by chance: Studies have shown that there is actually something to be said about men’s cold. In general, many diseases run differently in men and women – not just in their severity. But just as the course of the disease can be different, the effect of drugs differs in men and women.
That is why drugs work differently in women than they do in men
There are mutliple reasons for this:
- Body fat percentage and size: Women have a higher percentage of body fat than men and are usually smaller – this means that active ingredients from drugs are distributed in the tissue at different speeds.
- Enzymes as an activator: It is enzymes in the body that ensure that active ingredients from drugs can be absorbed in the first place. The problem: men and women usually have different numbers of enzymes.
- Side effects: Side effects are more common in women than in men.
- Way of the tablet: The effects of different tablets are also often needed in different places in the body. But often the tablets take different lengths of time to travel through the body in men and women.
Research treads on the spot
And why not just do more studies with women to make treatments gender-specific? There are two main reasons for this: For one, drug studies are usually conducted on healthy volunteers – and most of them are young men. On the other hand, the so-called Contergan scandal had a long lasting effect: In the 50s and 60s, a seemingly harmless sleep drug was tested on pregnant women.
In many test subjects, the drug harmed the unborn child – the babies were born with mutilated arms, legs or ears. In some infants, the damage was so severe that they died shortly after birth. Thereafter, pharmaceutical manufacturers were less willing to include women in their studies for a long time.
Now, German law requires that drugs that can be used by both sexes must also be tested by men and women. And that is sorely needed: studies have shown that that women often have to use different doses of the medication compared to men.
And it generally makes sense to have drugs tested by all population groups who are supposed to use them later. This includes young and old women and men. Tip: Women should make sure to inform their doctor about noticeably severe side effects from medication and to determine the correct dose together with him.