Teaching Gender Differences at Medical School Could Improve the Safety and Efficacy of Personalized Physical Activity Prescription

Abstract

Gender bias in medicine persists and affects patient care, trainee assessment, and organizational climate (3).Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are an important example because they have different characteristics in both symptoms and prognosis in women and men (4).The study of gender medicine in the CV field has led to the identification of specific CV risk factors for women related to hormonal life and hormonal changes over time.Risk factor analysis is an example of how gender medicine can modify CV risk stratification. Traditional risk factors have been studied on predominantly male populations inducing the erroneous belief that the only relevant risk factor in women is menopause. Indeed, menopause acts as an important risk factor because it is associated with a series of modifications of traditional risk factors such as obesity. With menopause, there is a change in obesity that becomes visceral obesity and the appearance of the phenomenon known as sarcopenic obesity (5).

Physical Activity and Diet in Older Women: A Narrative Review

“…This aspect is not always addressed in studies that explore the effects of diet and food resulting in an important lack of knowledge considering that nutrition plays a fundamental role in maintaining health. In a previous manuscript we stressed the need to teach gender medicine in medical schools in order to optimize the prescription of physical activity for prevention and therapy [57].…”

Editorial: Women in cardiovascular imaging

“…Furthermore, the concept of personalized medicine, where medical decisions and treatments are tailored to an individual's specific characteristics, is gaining prominence. Understanding sex-based differences can lead to more tailored and effective healthcare approaches for both men and women ( 14 , 15 ).…”