A new study has shown that the likelihood of aggressive treatments such as surgery or strong painkillers being offered to women is lower than for men. Researchers emphasize that it is still unclear whether these differences place one gender in a worse situation than the other.
Observable Differences in Treatment Approaches
Gender differences are evident throughout medical science and play a key role in the diagnosis and management of patients. Researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland found clear differences in the approach to men and women. Mary Vinhuisen, an honorary lecturer at St Andrews Medical School, said, "The direction of the results was not surprising, but the fact that this pattern is so consistent and repetitive is astonishing."
Differential Management of Diseases
Researchers analyzed 41 published studies from 2018 to 2023 and observed the same pattern in the fields of cardiology, surgery, transplant medicine, and emergency care. Women with heart failure, heart attacks, and tachycardia were managed more conservatively and medically than men, while men were subjected to aggressive methods such as coronary bypass surgery.
Among patients with Parkinson's disease, men were more likely to be referred for deep brain stimulation devices. Additionally, women received liver transplants or were referred for surgery less frequently than men.
Andrew O'Malley, one of the supervisors of the study, said, "For doctors, these findings are a warning to examine whether treatment is proposed based on clinical criteria or on assumptions."
Despite the consistency of this trend in most studies, the reasons behind it remain unclear. Vinhuisen stated, "It is not entirely clear why this happens, but it is likely because until recent decades, women had little presence in clinical trials, and as a result, many guidelines are based on data related to men."
This research group called for further studies to clarify whether these differences reflect legitimate differences in clinical practices or stem from broader inequalities, and to ensure that all patients receive fair care.
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