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Sex Differences in Stress Load Prompt Tailored Clinical Thresholds

6/10/2026

Summary

Researchers Reveal Sex Differences

Researchers at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek find allostatic load differs by sex.
Men show higher blood-pressure, blood-sugar and cortisol, while women have higher inflammatory markers.
Brain scans show men increase pre-frontal activity under stress, women activate limbic areas.
Authors urge sex- and age-specific clinical thresholds, citing masculinity-related traits, male-dominated jobs, smoking, heavy drinking, poor diet, inactivity and age-related biomarker changes, and note the recommendation appears in Frontiers in Medicine.

Summary

Khan Warns

Dr Amir Khan warned chronic stress raises cortisol and insulin resistance.
A 2025 VitalityHealth survey found 22% of Britons are stressed and 21% weekly.
Khan said cortisol forces the liver to release glucose, triggering extra insulin.
He said cortisol spikes cravings for sugary foods, disrupts sleep and adds fat.
Diabetes UK warned stress hormones impair insulin and raise blood-sugar risk, prompting NHS guidance to recommend sleep, exercise and “switching off”.

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Researchers Reveal Sex Differences

Researchers at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek find allostatic load differs by sex.
Men show higher blood-pressure, blood-sugar and cortisol, while women have higher inflammatory markers.
Brain scans show men increase pre-frontal activity under stress, women activate limbic areas.
Authors urge sex- and age-specific clinical thresholds, citing masculinity-related traits, male-dominated jobs, smoking, heavy drinking, poor diet, inactivity and age-related biomarker changes, and note the recommendation appears in Frontiers in Medicine.

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