Sex differences in activity and health changes following COVID-19 in Europe - Results from the SHARE COVID-19 survey.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Scheel-Hincke LL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8436396 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundTo limit the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, different restriction measures were implemented aiming to ensure social distancing and isolation. However, it is well known that such measures may lead to adverse effects on mental health.MethodsData from 36,478 adults aged 50+ from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe was used to investigate the longitudinal changes in mental health from pre-COVID-19 to during the pandemic (summer 2020), considering national restriction levels across 26 European countries and Israel. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess changes in feeling 'sad or depressed', sleeping problems, and loneliness.ResultsCompared with the mental health status before the COVID-19 outbreak, participants had a lower risk of feeling "sad or depressed" (-14.4%) and having sleeping problems (-9.9%), while the risk of feeling lonely slightly increased (1.2%). However, for individuals in countries with high restriction levels, the risk of feeling "sad or depressed" was attenuated and the risk of loneliness was greater compared to countries with low restriction levels.ConclusionOlder people felt less depressed and had fewer sleeping problems during the pandemic as compared to before the pandemic, while the risk of loneliness increased slightly. Stricter policy measures attenuated the otherwise positive impact on mental health. Future studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health.
| S-EPMC9159781 | biostudies-literature
Project description:AimTo examine the magnitude of sex differences in survival from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Europe across age groups and regions. We hypothesized that men have a higher mortality than women at any given age but that sex differences will decrease with age as only the healthiest men survive to older ages.MethodsWe used population data from the Institut National D'Études Démographiques on cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 from February to June 2020 in 10 European regions: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal. For each region, we calculated cumulative mortality rates stratified by age and sex and corresponding relative risks for men vs. women.ResultsThe relative risk of dying from COVID-19 was higher for men than for women in almost all age groups in all regions. The overall relative risk ranged from 1.11 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.01-1.23) in Portugal to 1.54 (95% CI 1.49-1.58) in France. In most regions, sex differences increased until the ages of 60-69 years, but decreased thereafter with the smallest sex difference at age 80+ years.ConclusionDespite variability in data collection and time coverage among regions, the study showed an overall similar pattern of sex differences in COVID-19 mortality in Europe.
| S-EPMC7755064 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Aim: To examine the magnitude of sex differences in survival from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Europe across age and countries. We hypothesise that men have higher mortality than women at any given age, but that sex differences will decrease with age as only the strongest men survive to older ages. Methods: We used population data from Institut National D'Études Démographiques on cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 from February to June 2020 in 10 European countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, England & Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal. For each country, we calculated cumulative mortality rates stratified by age and sex and corresponding relative risks for men vs. women. Results: The relative risk of dying from COVID-19 was higher for men than for women in almost all age groups in all countries. The overall relative risk ranged from 1.11 (95% CI 1.01-1.23) in Portugal to 1.54 (95% CI 1.49-1.58) in France. In most countries, sex differences increased until ages 60-69 years, but decreased thereafter with the smallest sex difference at ages 80+. Conclusions: Despite variability in data collection and time coverage among countries, we illustrate an overall similar pattern of sex differences in COVID-19 mortality in Europe.
| S-EPMC7444295 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-BSST563 | biostudies-other
Project description:Women experience greater longevity than men, but have poorer health, although sex differences vary across health measures and geographical regions. We aim to examine sex differences in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) over age across European regions in a cross-sectional setting including 51,292 men and 62,007 women aged 50+ from a pooled sample of waves 1 (2004-2005) to 6 (2015) in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. ADL and IADL were dichotomised into no limitations and at least one limitation. Binomial regression models were used to estimate absolute and relative sex differences. Women had higher risk than men of ADL limitations (RR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.16; 1.27) and IADL limitations (RR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.48; 1.60), corresponding to risk differences of 1.3% and 5.7%, respectively. When we stratified by age groups and regions, sex differences in ADL were found in all age groups in Southern Europe, in the age groups 65-79 years and 80+ years in Western and Eastern Europe, and from the age of 80 in Northern Europe. For IADL, sex differences were found in all age groups in the four European regions, except from ages 50-64 in Eastern Europe. The absolute sex differences increased with age in all European regions. In conclusion, our results lend support for the male-female health survival paradox by showing that European women have higher risk of ADL and IADL limitations than European men and that sex differences increase with advancing age.
| S-EPMC7040124 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Objectives To investigate the experience of people who continue to be unwell after acute COVID-19, often referred to as ‘long COVID’, both in terms of their symptoms and their interactions with healthcare. Design We conducted a mixed-methods analysis of responses to a survey accessed through a UK online post-COVID-19 support and information hub, between April and December 2020, about people’s experiences after having acute COVID-19. Participants 3290 respondents, 78% female, 92.1% white ethnicity and median age range 45–54 years; 12.7% had been hospitalised. 494(16.5%) completed the survey between 4 and 8 weeks of the onset of their symptoms, 641(21.4%) between 8 and 12 weeks and 1865 (62.1%) >12 weeks after. Results The ongoing symptoms most frequently reported were: breathing problems (92.1%), fatigue (83.3%), muscle weakness or joint stiffness (50.6%), sleep disturbances (46.2%), problems with mental abilities (45.9%), changes in mood, including anxiety and depression (43.1%) and cough (42.3%). Symptoms did not appear to be related to the severity of the acute illness or to the presence of pre-existing medical conditions. Analysis of free-text responses revealed three main themes: (1) experience of living with COVID-19: physical and psychological symptoms that fluctuate unpredictably; (2) interactions with healthcare that were unsatisfactory; (3) implications for the future: their own condition, society and the healthcare system, and the need for research Conclusion Consideration of patient perspectives and experiences will assist in the planning of services to address problems persisting in people who remain symptomatic after the acute phase of COVID-19.
| S-EPMC8572361 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Many countries have been affected by the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. Among Western countries, Italy has been particularly hit at the beginning of the pandemic, immediately after China. In Italy and elsewhere, women seem to be less affected than men by severe/fatal COVID-19 infection, regardless of their age. Although women and men are affected differently by this infection, very few studies consider different therapeutic approaches for the two sexes. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these differences may help to find appropriate and sex specific therapies. Here, we consider that other mechanisms are involved to explain this difference, in addition to the protection attributable to oestrogens. Several X-linked genes (such as ACE2) and Y-linked genes (SRY and SOX9) may explain sex differences. Cardiovascular comorbidities are among the major enhancers of virus lethality. In addition, the number of sex-independent, non-genetic factors that can change susceptibility and mortality is enormous, and many other factors should be considered, including gender and cultural habits in different countries.
| S-EPMC7405496 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Men are consistently overrepresented in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severe outcomes, including higher fatality rates. These differences are likely due to gender-specific behaviors, genetic and hormonal factors, and sex differences in biological pathways related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several social, behavioral, and comorbid factors are implicated in the generally worse outcomes in men compared with women. Underlying biological sex differences and their effects on COVID-19 outcomes, however, have received less attention. The present review summarizes the available literature regarding proposed molecular and cellular markers of COVID-19 infection, their associations with health outcomes, and any reported modification by sex. Biological sex differences characterized by such biomarkers exist within healthy populations and also differ with age- and sex-specific conditions, such as pregnancy and menopause. In the context of COVID-19, descriptive biomarker levels are often reported by sex, but data pertaining to the effect of patient sex on the relationship between biomarkers and COVID-19 disease severity/outcomes are scarce. Such biomarkers may offer plausible explanations for the worse COVID-19 outcomes seen in men. There is the need for larger studies with sex-specific reporting and robust analyses to elucidate how sex modifies cellular and molecular pathways associated with SARS-CoV-2. This will improve interpretation of biomarkers and clinical management of COVID-19 patients by facilitating a personalized medical approach to risk stratification, prevention, and treatment.
| S-EPMC7402208 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundEmerging evidence from China suggests that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is deadlier for infected men than women with a 2.8% fatality rate being reported in Chinese men versus 1.7% in women. Further, sex-disaggregated data for COVID-19 in several European countries show a similar number of cases between the sexes, but more severe outcomes in aged men. Case fatality is highest in men with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions. The mechanisms accounting for the reduced case fatality rate in women are currently unclear but may offer potential to develop novel risk stratification tools and therapeutic options for women and men.ContentThe present review summarizes latest clinical and epidemiological evidence for gender and sex differences in COVID-19 from Europe and China. We discuss potential sex-specific mechanisms modulating the course of disease, such as hormone-regulated expression of genes encoding for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) entry receptors angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2 receptor and TMPRSS2 as well as sex hormone-driven innate and adaptive immune responses and immunoaging. Finally, we elucidate the impact of gender-specific lifestyle, health behavior, psychological stress, and socioeconomic conditions on COVID-19 and discuss sex specific aspects of antiviral therapies.ConclusionThe sex and gender disparities observed in COVID-19 vulnerability emphasize the need to better understand the impact of sex and gender on incidence and case fatality of the disease and to tailor treatment according to sex and gender. The ongoing and planned prophylactic and therapeutic treatment studies must include prospective sex- and gender-sensitive analyses.
| S-EPMC7247289 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: Adolescence is a period of time characterized by the onset of puberty and is marked by cognitive and social developments and gross physical changes that can play a role in athletic performance. Sex differences are present with differences in body size, height, physiology and behavior which contribute to differences in athletic performance as well. Pre-clinical studies representing this active group are lacking. Methods: Acute and chronic effects of exercise were evaluated. Male and female adolescent rats were given voluntary access to a running wheel for 10 consecutive days. Running behavior (males and females) and estrous cycling (females only) were analyzed daily. A second group was given 10 days of voluntary access to a running wheel, then rested for 10 days to determine the long-term effects of exercise on the adolescent brain. Brain and muscle tissue were harvested at 10 and 20 day time points to understand exercise-dependent changes in mitochondrial activity and neuroplasticity. Animal cohorts were carried out at two different sites: University of California Los Angeles and Pepperdine University. Results: On average, running distance, intensity of run, and length of running bout increased for both male and female rats across the 10 days measured. Females ran significantly further and for longer intervals compared to males. Cortical and muscle expression of PGC1α showed similar levels at 10 days regardless of sex and exercise. There was a significant increase in expression at 20 days in all groups correlating with body size (p's < 0.05). Cortical and hippocampal levels of BDNF were similar across all groups, however, BDNF was significantly higher in exercised females at the acute compared to long-term time point. Discussion: Adolescent rats allowed 10 days of exercise show changes in physiologic function. There are sex differences in running behavior not impacted by sex hormones. These results are important to further our understanding of how exercise impacts the adolescent brain.
| S-EPMC8339288 | biostudies-literature