A recent study has shed light on the significant gender differences in the risk of developing long COVID, a condition characterized by persistent symptoms lasting months after an initial COVID-19 infection.
Women are up to 31% more likely than men to experience long COVID, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Long COVID affects millions worldwide, with an estimated two million sufferers in the UK alone. Symptoms include extreme fatigue, brain fog, chest pain, shortness of breath, and persistent cough. Among women, changes in the menstrual cycle have also been reported.
Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center analyzed data from over 12,000 participants across the United States and Puerto Rico. These individuals, all over the age of 18, had previously tested positive for COVID-19. They were surveyed every three months over four years to track long COVID symptoms and assess patterns by age and sex.
The study revealed several significant insights:
- Gender Disparity: Women were consistently at a higher risk of long COVID than men, with females aged 40-55 at the greatest risk.
- Hormonal Factors: Researchers pointed to hormonal changes, such as menopause and lower levels of estrogen, as potential reasons for the increased risk in women. Menopausal women were 1.42 times more likely to develop long COVID than men, while non-menopausal women faced an even higher risk at 1.45 times.
- Immune Response and Autoimmunity: One theory suggests that women’s immune systems may be more prone to overreacting and failing to “switch off” after the initial infection, leading to chronic symptoms. Another hypothesis is that long COVID might be linked to autoimmune responses, which disproportionately affect women.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence that women tend to be at higher risk for certain chronic post-viral conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia. These conditions share overlapping symptoms with long COVID and are similarly associated with immune dysregulation.
The study also emphasized that age and pregnancy could influence long COVID risk profiles. For example, women aged 18-39 had a lower risk compared to older women, possibly due to factors like pregnancy and younger immune systems.
The study’s authors stressed the need for more research to understand the mechanisms behind long COVID in women. Identifying hormonal, inflammatory, and comorbidity-related factors could pave the way for targeted therapies.
Experts have also suggested the potential role of sex-steroid-based treatments to alleviate symptoms, building on prior research that explored hormone therapies for acute COVID-19 in men.
Globally, over 700 million COVID-19 cases have been reported, with long COVID estimated to affect at least 65 million people. In the UK, approximately one in ten COVID-19 cases develop into long COVID, including 112,000 children.
Despite its prevalence, long COVID remains underdiagnosed and poorly understood, making it critical to develop more effective diagnostic tools, treatments, and public health strategies.
The Daily Mail, ABC News, and Forbes contributed to this report.
