‘Man Flu’ May Be Real; Study Suggests He’s Not Being A Big Baby

Women of the world, we may have some apologizing to do. “Man flu” may be real and not just a pejorative. New research published Monday suggests he’s not just over-reacting to the cold and flu symptoms you plowed through as you tidied up the house, got the kids ready for school, put in a full day at work and, once back home, got a meal on the table and the kids in the bath.

Dr. Kyle Sue, a clinical assistant professor in family medicine at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, said his research suggests that when it comes to fighting off the symptoms of flu and common viral respiratory infections, men may be the weaker sex.

The study, which builds on evolutionary theory, epidemiology and earlier research, suggests that symptoms of common viral respiratory infections and the flu persist longer in men than women, that men are more likely than women to be hospitalized and that men are more likely than women to die from such illnesses than women.

Sue, who has been accused of exaggerating the symptoms of the flu, said the research was personal.

“Tired of being accused of over-reacting, I searched the available evidence to determine whether men really experience worse symptoms and whether this could have any evolutionary basis,” Sue wrote in the abstract published in the British Medical Journal.

Sue’s study builds on earlier findings that men do experience worse flu symptoms than women. The World Health Organization has previously said gender “should be considered when evaluating influenza exposure and outcomes.”

Also, epidemiological data from 2004-2010 for seasonal influenza in Hong Kong showed adult men had a higher risk of hospitalization. A U.S. observational study of influenza mortality from 1997-2007 found men had higher rates of influenza-related deaths compared with women in the same age groups, regardless of underlying conditions such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and renal disease.

Hormonal differences may play a role, Sue’s research suggests.

The female hormone estrogen may boost women’s immune systems, Sue wrote. In contrast, the male hormone testosterone appears to have an “immunosuppressive effect,” according to studies performed in animal and cell cultures.

Evolutionary factors may account for some of men’s immunological deficits, Sue suggests, noting that competition among men to reproduce meant many men died young, while women lived longer and developed stronger immune systems because they needed to take care of and nurture the resulting offspring.

In a bit of whimsy, Sue said men may be more inclined than women to take it easy while recovering because of those evolutionary differences.

“Lying on the couch, not getting out of bed, or receiving assistance with activities of daily living could also be evolutionary behaviors that protect against predators,” Sue wrote. “Perhaps now is the time for male friendly spaces, equipped with enormous televisions and reclining chairs, to be set up where men can recover from the debilitating effects of man flu in safety and comfort.”

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AP Photo/Roberto Pfeil, File