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Review
. 2020 Jul 17:7:131.
doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.00131. eCollection 2020.

Covid-19 Kills More Men Than Women: An Overview of Possible Reasons

Annalisa Capuano  1 , Francesco Rossi  1 , Giuseppe Paolisso  2
Affiliations
Review

Covid-19 Kills More Men Than Women: An Overview of Possible Reasons

Annalisa Capuano et al. Front Cardiovasc Med. .

Abstract

The high mortality observed in Covid-19 patients may be related to unrecognized pulmonary embolism, pulmonary thrombosis, or other underlying cardiovascular diseases. Recent data have highlighted that the mortality rate of Covid-19 seems to be higher in male patients compared to females. In this paper, we have analyzed possible factors that may underline this sex difference in terms of activity of the immune system and its modulation by sex hormones, coagulation pattern, and preexisting cardiovascular diseases as well as effects deriving from smoking and drinking habits. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effects of sex differences on the prevalence of infections, including Covid-19, its outcome, and the responses to antiviral treatments.

Keywords: Covid-19; cardiovascular diseases; coagulation pattern; gender difference; immune system; mortality; sex hormones; smoking habit.

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