Lupus In Males and Females: Researchers Identify Key Differences Between Sexes

Researchers have found some key differences in male and female patients with lupus. Males appear to have poorer health literacy than females, though both still experience barriers to health care access.

Lupus is a chronic condition that causes pain and inflammation in different parts of the body. It is an autoimmune disease, which means that the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs.

For their study, published in late January, researchers looked at the differences between males and females with lupus. Men with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to the researchers, "are an understudied demographic."

In total, they looked at the data from 1,462 participants (SLE patients) of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) All of Us Research Program. Of them, 126 were males, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.

Researchers looked at information such as the disease manifestation, medications, health literacy, socioeconomic factors and health care access. They found that heart attacks were "significantly" more common in males than females. They also had lower educational attainment and were less confident in completing medical forms, with trends showing that they tended to need more help in reading health materials.

This suggests that the male patients may have "disproportionately" poorer health literacy than females, the researchers wrote. This could then lead to poorer health outcomes, the Lupus Foundation of America noted.

On the flip side, they also found that males reported lower levels of fatigue than females. Fatigue, or when someone always feels tired, is said to be one of the common symptoms of lupus.

There were also similarities between the sexes, with barriers to health care access and utilization being rather common for both — 40% of males and 47% of females reported delays in care. When it came to race, they also saw some differences.

"Women of race other than Black or African American or White more often reported delaying care due to cultural differences between patient and provider," the researchers wrote.

Overall, the study highlights some "major clinical and health care literacy differences" among male and female patients with lupus, according to the researchers. Socioeconomic factors, they said, were still "significant barriers" for both sexes.

"Our study suggests males have disproportionately poorer health literacy, which may exacerbate pre-existing disparities," they wrote, recommending further studies with a focus on recruiting more male participants.

It is estimated that there are about 1.5 million Americans with a form of lupus, according to the Lupus Foundation of America. Worldwide, the number is "at least five million." Although it mostly affects women of childbearing age, with women comprising 90% of the patients, men, kids and teenagers can develop it, too.

"While lupus is a widespread disease, awareness of the disease lags behind many other illnesses," the Lupus Foundation of America said. "63% of Americans surveyed have never heard of lupus or know little or nothing about this disease and its symptoms beyond the name indicating there is significant opportunity and need for continued public education."