According to the European Health Survey, women live longer than men, and they visit the doctor more frequently and take more medications than men.On the other hand, research Women, Disability and Chronic Disease A study conducted by Complutense University of Madrid and the Patient Organization Platform shows that from the moment they notice the first symptoms of discomfort until they are diagnosed, it takes six years, twice as long as that of men.
These are some of the differences between them, but, as research in different professions shows, there are others. In addition to diseases that specifically affect the female organs, such as gynecological diseases or pregnancy-related diseases, there are also diseases that affect both sexes but in which women suffer more.
Migraine is one of the health problems unique to women. In fact, 80% of people suffering from this disease in our country are women, which is one of the main causes of disability, with young women ranking first. The gender gap is even more pronounced in rheumatoid arthritis: according to the Spanish Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact and Control Survey (2020), 89.9% of patients are female. They are also most likely to have frozen shoulder (also called adhesive capsulitis), syncope, or thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
Insomnia also deserves special attention. Spain is one of the countries with the worst sleep quality in Europe: the Spanish Neurological Society estimates that nearly half of the population (48%) does not get enough sleep or sleep of poor quality, and more than four million Spaniards suffer from serious illnesses such as chronic disease insomnia. Another fact shows that 60% of people with insomnia are women.
Although the cause of this gender bias remains unknown in many cases—a combination of biological, physiological and genetic factors—in some diseases it is closely linked to hormonal changes that occur throughout life. We consulted experts from the different centers of the Quirónsalud Group to delve deeper into the key to these distinctly female diseases and learn about risk factors, prevention guidelines, and research and treatment advances.