3 Why men are more vulnerable to the flu virus?

Men with more testosterone are more likely to get sick from the flu, as they have a weak immune system, finds a new study by scientists from Stanford University in the U.S.A.

Scientists say high levels of testosterone are directly related to the weakness of the immune system. To this conclusion they reached after watching a weakened response to vaccines against influenza virus in men with more testosterone. The data obtained are one of the versions explaining the greater sensitivity of males to various infections.

Men with high testosterone produced less anti-viral antibodies in the application of the flu vaccine, but did those with lower levels of the hormone in plasma had a profound immune response to force , as in women.

Science has long known that men are more susceptible to bacterial, viral and parasitic infections and less influenced not only by the influenza vaccines, but also against those for yellow fever , measles, hepatitis and other diseases.



Unlike men women exhibit beneficial effects of vaccination because of increased concentrations of immune cells.

According to the study authors first study focuses on gender differences in the immune system, however , the findings show that gender is a major determinant clear variability of the immune response.
The obvious question that arises: why nature has created the male sex hormone like Achilles heel ?

As testosterone hormone determines the strength and masculinity , the severity of muscle and body hair on men . Why their increased resistance poses a risk to weaken the resistance of men to various infectious diseases ?

Scientists propose an evolutionary explanation for this - the representatives of males are more prone to violence and injuries and that somewhere weakens the immune system. At the same time, it plays a life-saving role as a higher incidence of infection that is triggered by aggressive behavior and walking hunting restricts men for acts of violence and unnecessary risk.

In addition , they are more susceptible to influenza, men with higher levels of testosterone, apparently will fight harder and with flu symptoms. To fight flu symptoms need our body to produce anti bodies that fight the flu virus. When we are unable to produce these anti bodies, we are unable to deal with the flu symptoms.