Whether men and women are fundamentally different or similar has been debated for many years. The incidence, age of onset and symptomatology of many diseases shows the differences between men and women. In health, more than in other social sectors, sex and gender variables are useful parameters for research and action because biological differences between the sexes determine male-specific and female-specific diseases and because behavioral differences between the genders assign a critical role to women in relation to family health. This article highlights some of the more intriguing recent opinion and their consequences in the subject of gender-related diseases.