Men are more likely to die from COVID-19 or require intensive care than women, even when they are in better health before getting the disease, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Mount Sinai in New York City investigated Covid outcomes for almost 5,000 patients hospitalized during early months of the pandemic.
They found men were 2.1 percentage points more likely to die at the hospital and 6.4 percentage points more likely to require intensive care.
Among women in this patient group, Covid risk factors such as obesity and high blood pressure were more common - but women still fared better than men overall.
The team says the findings indicate that more research is needed on the underlying biology leading men to be more at risk of severe Covid - and demonstrates why it’s important for men to get vaccinated.
Men are more likely to die from Covid or require intensive care, a study of NYC patients shows. Pictured: Healthcare workers treat a Covid patient in Apple Valley, California
Men had higher rates of severe Covid regardless of age or preexisting conditions
It’s well-known among doctors and COVID-19 experts that men face a greater risk of severe disease.
In the U.S., 54 percent of those who died from the virus are men, despite making up 49 percent of the national population, meaning they are overrepresented among Covid-related deaths.
One large study from Lombardy, Italy, published in April 2020, found that 82 percent of Covid patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) were men.
Men may be more likely to be infected by Covid and other infectious diseases - studies have shown that they are less likely to wear face masks, for example.
But that doesn’t explain why men are more vulnerable to severe disease if they get infected.
Scientists have hypothesized that preexisting conditions in men may play a role, along with hormonal factors and differences between male and female immune systems.
For the new study, published in Nature Communications Medicine, the team looked at the intersections between a patient’s sex and other preexisting conditions known to put patients at higher risk.
The Mount Sinai researchers studied the medical records of 4,930 patients hospitalized with Covid in New York City between March and August, 2020.
These patients were all hospitalized in the Mount Sinai system, which includes eight hospitals across the city.
Based on these patients’ medical records, the researchers affirmed that severe Covid outcomes were more likely in men.
