Women are More Suseptible to Allergies, Asthma, Autoimmune Disease than Men

Women are more susceptible to allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases than men are due to genetic differences between the sexes, a new study found.

However, young boys suffer from rhinitis, asthma and food allergies more than girl do.

"More prepubescent males have rhinitis, asthma and food allergy than females," said Allergy specialist Dr Renata Engler, according to the Telegraph.

"However, roles change. When females enter young adulthood, they outnumber men in these chronic illness categories."

Dr Engler and her team presented the findings at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) on Thursday.

"The importance of sex differences in the practice of allergy-immunology cannot be overstated."

"Improved sex or gender based medicine and research practices will benefit men and women alike."

The reason for gender-differences in disease risk and immune responses are complex and vary with age.

A similar study by a research team from the ACAAI, which tracked women's chances of suffering serious asthma-related complications as they enter menopause, found women in their 40s and 50s were more likely to be admitted to hospital over the condition compared to men of the same age.

"Then, during the menopausal years, women's hospitalization rates are double those of men in the same age group. This could indicate that asthma may have distinct biological traits."