Male and female reactions to medications cannot just be put down to size, say scientists

Women experience more adverse reactions to medication than men and it’s not just because of body size, a study found.

Women are up to 75 per cent more likely to experience adverse reactions to prescription drugs than men, new Australian research has revealed.

The study from the Australian National University (ANU), published in the journal Nature Communications, found the difference could not be explained simply by the difference in size between males and females.

And the researchers say more should be done to account for this difference when treating diseases.

The study’s lead author, Dr Laura Wilson, Australian Research Council future fellow and head of biological anthropology at ANU said these adverse reactions were previously thought to be due to differences in body weight.

“Women are often prescribed drugs at the same dose as men despite having on average a lower body weight, meaning they often receive a higher relative dose,” Dr Wilson said.

Women are up to 75 per cent more likely to experience adverse reactions to prescription drugs. Picture: Pexels

“We analysed over two million data points, capturing over 300 traits in mice, a preclinical disease model, and it’s clear females aren’t just smaller versions of males. Meaning these drug reactions are unlikely to be alleviated by adjusting the dosage for body weight.

“Our analyses showed sex differences in many traits that cannot be explained by body weight. For example, iron levels and body temperature, morphology traits such as stored fat, and heart rate variability.”

Dr Wilson said much less was known about how women experience disease.

“Most biomedical research has been conducted on male cells or male animals. It has been assumed any results will apply to females as well,” she said.

Dr Laura Wilson says men and women experience disease differently.

“But we know men and women experience disease differently, including how diseases develop, the length and severity of symptoms and effectiveness of treatment options.”

Women were often worse off as a result, she said, highlighting the differences in symptoms in heart attack between men and women.

“For example, crushing chest pain is often cited as a primary symptom of heart attack,” Dr Wilson said.

“While this might be common for men, it’s a much less common symptom for women. Women are more likely to experience intense nausea.”

The research team includes scientists from the University of NSW, as well as Liverpool John Moores University, Melio Healthcare and the European Bioinformatics Institutive in the UK.

“Our study could help clarify the nature of the differences in responses to certain drugs and provide a path forward to reducing drug reactions,” Dr Wilson said.