#GenderDifferences

In a striking revelation from one of the largest ever studies examining sex differences in exercise benefits, scientists have found that women experience greater reductions in mortality—both from heart disease and all causes—than men for the same amount of physical activity. The research, published in 2024 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, offers new insight intended to empower individuals, especially Thai women, to use exercise more strategically to extend their healthy lifespan.

A groundbreaking international study has found women experiencing moment-to-moment anxiety may have significantly less insight into their own bodily sensations—specifically those related to breathing—than men do. The research, recently published in the European Journal of Neuroscience and highlighted by PsyPost, offers new clues into why anxiety feels and functions differently in men and women, raising important questions for mental health treatment in Thailand and beyond (PsyPost, 2025).

The significance of this finding comes as anxiety rates continue to soar in Thai society, amplified by the ongoing pressures of economic uncertainty, academic competition, and the social changes that come with a rapidly modernizing culture. According to the World Health Organization, women are already nearly twice as likely as men to develop anxiety disorders—an observation mirrored among Thai adolescents and working-age adults (WHO). Yet, this new research reveals that not only does anxiety’s prevalence differ by gender, but women may also uniquely struggle with “interoceptive insight”—the ability to connect their internal sensations, like breathing difficulty or chest tightness, with emotional or mental states.