Sex differences in adverse drug reaction and liver disease

Abstract

Adverse drug reactions represent a significant public health problem. A share of no small adverse reaction is particularly serious and can even lead to patient’s death. Furthermore, hepatitis induced by serious drug reactions is a rare event but potentially fatal. Finally, we know that epidemiological studies have highlighted male gender as an independent predictor of fibrosis progression towards cirrhosis in hepatitis B and C-virus, as well as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The importance of considering the differences between the male and female sex in clinical decision-making is crucial. The physiopathology of liver disease is different in the two genres, but these differences are not yet fully known and several potential mechanisms have been identified.