Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40664420›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Sex differences in onset and prevalence of 108 diseases and multimorbidity across lifespan in Yichang, China: quantitative analysis of real-world linked electronic health records.

Yueqing Wang, Jiajuan Yang, Xunliang Tong, Chi Hu, Ji Zhang, Yutong Long, Yisen Yang, Zuolin Lu, Weihao Shao, Yacheng Wang and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Yueqing WangSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3676-5123
Jiajuan YangYichang City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Yichang, Hubei, China.
Xunliang TongDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5569-1193
Chi HuYichang City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Yichang, Hubei, China.
Ji ZhangSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.
Yutong LongSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.
Yisen YangDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, Beijing, China.
Zuolin LuSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.
Weihao ShaoSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.
Yacheng WangSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.
He XuSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-3744-7340
Xin XuLiver Cancer Institute, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
Shu-Kay NgSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University - Nathan Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Paul A ScuffhamSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Southport, Queensland, Australia.
Maigeng ZhouThe National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, Beijing, China.
Luzhao FengSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5206-5995
Enying GongSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China shaoruitai@cams.cn gongenying@cams.cn.
Ruitai ShaoSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China shaoruitai@cams.cn gongenying@cams.cn.
Chen WangSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe magnitude and persistence of diseases and multimorbidity between females and males are different. This study comprehensively quantified sex differences in the onset and progression of 108 major physical and mental diseases to multimorbidity through adulthood in Chinese population.

designQuantitative analysis of real-world linked electronic health records.

settingLinked health records from 160 health facilities across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, comprising routinely collected electronic health records from the whole urban residents of Yichang, China between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2019.

participants684 455 urban residents aged 20 years and above with documented health records during the study period. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The cumulative incidence, relative risks (RR) and 95% CIs, period prevalence, median age at disease diagnosis and the prevalence of multimorbidity of 108 major physical and mental diseases were computed. All analyses were stratified by sex and age groups.

resultsThe analysis included 684 455 individuals (54.8% females, mean age: 46.9), among whom 46.3% had multimorbidity, with a higher prevalence in females (47.6%) than males (44.9%). The chronological disease map revealed stark differences between females and males, with notable lower risk of obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS, RR: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.11) for young adults, oesophageal cancer (RR: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.0 to 0.17) for mid-age adults and remarkable higher risk of lupus (RR: 8.8, 95% CI: 2.7 to 29.0) for older adults of females. Males exhibited an incidence surge in hypertension, diabetes, coronary disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a decade earlier than females, while females had a life-long higher prevalence in immune-mediated diseases and urinary disorders. For the new incident diseases, the manifestation of eating disorders, anaemia and urinary incontinence was recorded 20 years earlier in females; whereas, males were diagnosed with hyperuricaemia, OSAHS and schizophrenia at younger ages.

conclusionsThe significant variations in disease nature and trajectory between sexes underscore the urgent needs for tailored prevention strategies and appropriate health resources allocation. Sex differences in disease profile should be considered to delay disease and multimorbidity progression, ultimately promoting health equity.

Indexed as

Electronic Health RecordsMultimorbidityAdultAgedChinaChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMental DisordersMiddle AgedPrevalenceSex FactorsYoung AdultChinaEPIDEMIOLOGYHealth EquityPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID40664420
PMCPMC12265773

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.