A new study suggests that the biological differences in health risks, symptoms, and disease outcomes between men and women are not solely driven by genetics. Social and environmental factors, like lifestyles and neighbourhoods, could play a far greater role than previously thought.
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London examined the genetic connection between nearly 6,000 proteins and disease in a group of 56,000 individuals. Only around 100 proteins from the dataset showed significant differences between males and females.
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The findings, published in Nature Communications, reveal that most genetic variants affecting protein regulation function similarly across genders. “With very few exceptions, the protein-regulating genetic variants identified so far behave similarly in males and females,” said Dr Claudia Langenberg, director of the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute at Queen Mary University.
The study reinforces the need to factor in lifestyle, environment, and socioeconomic conditions when addressing gender-based health disparities. The study’s findings are “essential to guide precision medicine approaches and identify where one size may not fit all”, Langenberg said.
“For the first time in history, we can study human biology at this level of detail – across genes, proteins, and more. This paper is the largest study to date exploring the similarities and differences in how our genetic code regulates blood protein levels between sexes,” lead author Mine Koprulu, a postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary University’s Precision Healthcare University Research Institute, said.
“Our findings highlight the need to better understand the factors that impact health differences—at the genetic level and beyond to create more tailored and equitable healthcare for everyone,” Koprulu said.
