Without question, there are specific diseases for which women are more susceptible
compared with men. The biological basis for these differences, including the cellular
and molecular mechanisms, is often not identified or understood but nonetheless it is
widely known that differences in disease incidence and risk exist between men and
women. Some of these differences are summarized in Table 1.1 [1,2]. While more
heart attacks occur in men, more deaths occur in women within a year after a heart
attack. Similarly, while fewer women experience a stroke, more women will die as a
result. Depression, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and autoimmune
diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and fibromyalgia are all the
more common in women compared with men. There is a need to better understand
the sex-based differences in the biology, physiology, and disease risks, and to better
understand the unique role of nutrition in the maintenance of good health and the
management of chronic diseases.