Korean J Gastroenterol.  2021 Mar;77(3):104-114. 10.4166/kjg.2021.020.

How to Study the Sex and Gender Effect in Biomedical Research?

• Lee MY
• Kim EJ
• Shin A
• Kim YS

• KMID: 2514086
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2021.020

Abstract

Men and women are different, but this difference has not been well reflected in clinical trials and preclinical studies of biomedical science. Gender medicine, which systematically analyzes research results according to sex and gender, has been emphasized to overcome this problem. On the other hand, researchers still have difficulty in applying gender medicine to their research. To perform rigorous gender medicine, using correct terms, a thorough literature review during research planning, appropriate statistical analysis and reporting, and cautious interpretation of the results are necessary. Applying gender medicine will increase the reproducibility of studies, promote discoveries, expand the study relevance, and ultimately improve patient care in both men and women. Here, this study reviewed the practical issues on applying gender medicine to both preclinical and clinical studies in the field of biomedical science.

Keyword

Sex; Gender equity; Translational medical research; Clinical trial

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Cardiovascular disease mortality trends for males and females (United States: 1979-2013). Writing Group Members et al.6. Reprinted with permission. Circulation 2016;133:e38-e360. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

• 

  Fig. 2 Distribution of the absolute number of hospitalizations with peptic ulcer bleeding and hospitalization rate per 100,000 person-year according to sex and age in Korea. Modified from Kim et al.57. Reprinted with permission Gut Liver, Published online October 21, 2020 © 2021 Gut and Liver.

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