Stress is an independent risk factor for developing e.g. heart diseases and depression. There are marked gender differences which need to be examined in depth. Some of the explanation seems to be related to the traditional pattern of gender roles--men as breadwinners and women with responsibility for the family as well as paid work in addition to housework. But gender differences in biological factors also seem to play an important role in chronic stress and stress-related diseases. We need to know more about gender differences, but we can already incorporate the known ones in the prevention of stress-related disorders.