A recent study published in Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders found that women with myasthenia gravis (MG) have significantly lower quality of life than men with the disease, in part due to higher levels of fatigue and psychological distress.
Mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, are generally diagnosed more often in women than men. Although these disorders are common in patients with MG and other neuromuscular diseases, little research has been done into whether a gender disparity exists in people living with MG.
The authors conducted a review of 12 studies that assessed quality of life in patients with MG, which included 4,744 individuals. An in-depth statistical analysis, known as a meta-analysis, was performed on five of the 12 studies.
Across the studies, women with MG consistently reported poorer quality of life than men. Some of these studies also found that rates of depression, anxiety and fatigue were significantly higher in women.
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The meta-analysis supported these results, finding that overall quality of life was significantly reduced in women with MG. The researchers hypothesized that this could be a result of hormonal fluctuations or the fact that women with MG tend to have multiple autoimmune diseases. However, the current study did not address these predictions.
The authors caution that due to the small number of studies included in their analysis, these findings are not definitive. Future studies should aim to better characterize the role of gender in shaping mental well-being in patients with MG across different stages of life, they said.
“Our results support the implementation of gender-sensitive, holistic care approaches in MG management,” the authors wrote. “Understanding how gender shapes the lived experience of MG is essential for improving outcomes, tailoring treatments, and ensuring equitable care.”
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