Despite facing similar rates of chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes, men around the world are dying from these conditions at much higher rates than women. A sweeping new global study, published in PLOS Medicine, shows that men’s reluctance to seek care—combined with system-wide blind spots in treatment design—may be costing them their lives.
“We’re seeing a pattern where men are falling through the cracks,” said Dr. Angela Chang, lead author and associate professor of public health at the University of Southern Denmark. “This isn’t about genetics alone. The way we approach healthcare has to evolve to reflect real-world gender dynamics.”
The study analyzed data from healthcare systems across dozens of countries, examining every step in what researchers call the “health pathway”—from risk exposure to diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately, survival. The disparities are stark: while men and women are equally likely to develop hypertension or diabetes, men are more likely to remain undiagnosed, untreated, and ultimately die from these conditions. A similar trend was seen with HIV/AIDS.
One of the clearest examples lies in behavioral risk: in 86% of the countries examined, men smoked significantly more than women—a known contributor to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, women were more likely to face obesity, a primary risk factor for diabetes, in 65% of the countries studied.
“These trends don’t exist in a vacuum,” said Dr. Sarah Hawkes, co-director of Global Health 50/50 in the U.K. “They’re shaped by gender norms—by how societies condition men and women to interact with health systems, or not.”
In practical terms, that means women are more likely to access preventive care, follow up on diagnoses, and adhere to treatment plans. Men, meanwhile, often delay seeking help until their conditions have worsened—sometimes beyond repair.
The findings suggest healthcare systems must take a more nuanced approach to equity, one that goes beyond one-size-fits-all medicine. That means integrating gender-sensitive screening, outreach, and treatment guidelines that reflect how patients live, not just what they biologically are.
“We need a shift in mindset,” Chang said. “Medicine has to stop treating men’s underutilization of care as a personal failing and start treating it as a systemic issue we can address—just like any other public health crisis.”
With chronic diseases on the rise worldwide, experts say these insights are urgent. Without intervention, gender-blind health strategies may continue to fail half the population.