Canadian researcher Kyle Sue of Memorial University of Newfoundland Health Sciences Center is convinced there is such a thing as male flu. Her thesis may sound silly, but Sue is fighting for attention. The decisive factor for his research is that “male flu” (German: male flu) is often spoken of – mostly in the context of smiling – when men suffer from flu symptoms more severely.
The term “human flu” is even included in the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries. He defines “disease” as “a minor illness like a cold or similar experienced by a man who exaggerates the severity of symptoms” – and without any scientific evidence.
Analysis of several studies as evidence
As part of a meta-study, Sue wanted to find out if men really experience flu symptoms more severely and if there is an evolutionary reason for this. To do this, she searched for relevant studies in various scientific publications using various keywords and found what she was looking for.
Many of these studies have shown that female mice have a better immune response than male mice. This leads to the hypothesis that sex-linked hormones may play an important role in influenza effects. Another study found that high testosterone levels in men resulted in a weaker immune response. One theory says that although testosterone encourages aggression, hormones that boost the immune response will be lost in the process. Another study showed that sick men were more likely to go to the hospital, and men were more likely to die from the flu.
Flu free all winter
Evaluation of various studies clearly shows the different course of the disease for Sue. Her research leads Sue to a surprising conclusion: Current research shows that men suffer more from colds and flu than women. However, further studies are important to confirm the thesis.
Through her work, Sue hopes to improve the treatment and care of men with flu symptoms and raise awareness in the community. Maybe everyone should get the attention they need when they get the flu so they can get well soon. In any case, it is hoped that men and women will survive the winter as flu-free as possible.
The study was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).