Sex differences in the human metabolome.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Metabolomics
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Sexual dimorphism is a key driver of metabolic disparities with significant implications for research and diagnostics.
• Despite growing awareness, distinct male and female metabolic signatures remain largely unidentified.
• Sex-specific considerations are increasingly vital in biomedical research and clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review metabolomics studies on healthy populations to understand how sex influences the baseline metabolome.
• To identify shared and distinct metabolic signatures between males and females across various biofluids.
• To incorporate the influence of age and its interaction with sex on metabolic profiles.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of metabolomics studies focusing on sex differences in healthy individuals.
• Analysis of metabolic signatures in serum, plasma, and urine.
• Inclusion of age as a covariate and examination of sex-age interactions.

Main Results:

• Metabolic patterns related to sex have been identified across diverse human biofluids.
• Significant differences and shared signatures between male and female metabolomes were highlighted.
• Age and its interaction with sex were found to influence metabolic profiles.

Conclusions:

• Recognized sex patterns in human metabolomics are evident in multiple biofluids.
• Identifying sex- and age-related metabolic differences aids translational research.
• These findings support the development of targeted diagnostic and prevention strategies in personalized medicine.