Man flu is real, claim scientists

But not all GPs are convinced

Women have long moaned about the men in their lives coming down with “man flu” and turning into feeble, moaning boys. But according to a new study, there is actually some truth to the idea of man flu.

It all comes down to our cavemen ancestors – men have weaker immune systems than women which used to be in order to stop them going out hunting when ill.

A Canadian study was carried out to try and find out whether men really do experience worse symptoms than women or whether it is just a myth.

In what is thought to be the first study of its kind, Dr Kyle Sue, a clinical assistant professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, analysed relevant research and found evidence that adult men have a higher risk of hospital admission and higher rates of influenza-associated deaths compared with women, regardless of underlying disease.

Dr Sue also found that men are more susceptible to complications and higher mortality from many acute respiratory diseases, while some evidence supported men suffering more from viral respiratory illness than women because they have a less robust immune system.

Research has also found that pre-menopausal women are better at fighting off the common cold, thanks to a study of male and female cells.

Dr Sue’s study suggests testosterone may be to blame for suppressing men’s immune systems, while a female sex hormone boosts women’s.

However Dr Sue believes the term “man flu” is potentially problematic.

“Men may not be exaggerating symptoms but have weaker immune responses to viral respiratory viruses, leading to greater morbidity and mortality than seen in women,” he wrote in the BMJ.

But, he argues, there may actually be an evolutionary benefit to a less robust immune system, as it has allowed men to invest their energy in other biological processes, “such as growth, secondary sex characteristics, and reproduction.”

No scientific research has ever been undertaken into whether the term “man flu” is appropriate or accurate.

“Lying on the couch, not getting out of bed or receiving assistance with activities of daily living could also be evolutionary behaviours that protect against predators,” said Dr Sue. “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.”

However, in news that will surely be disappointing for half the population, other doctors and scientists are not convinced by Dr Sue’s findings.

“The vast majority of robust scientific evidence suggests that flu is not sexist and there is no such thing as ‘man flu’,” said Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs.“While there are people who believe that ‘man flu’ is an actual disease, and some men (and women) genuinely believe it is the reason they are unwell, there is little science to back this up.”

But she admitted: “There has been some research to suggest respiratory tract infections, as they are known, can present more severely in men than women and the best advice for anyone affected is to rest at home, drink plenty of fluids and to take over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol, if necessary.”