Funded by: DIWAS

Objective

The project aimed to systematically assess the extent to which national and international diabetes mellitus clinical practice guidelines incorporate sex-specific (biological) and gender-related (socio-cultural) variations in diabetes risk, diagnosis, clinical management, and outcomes.

Methodology

A structured guideline review framework was applied to evaluate sex and gender considerations across multiple domains, including epidemiology, diagnosis, risk assessment, and therapeutic recommendations. Guidelines were classified on a sensitivity scale ranging from “High Sensitivity” to “No Sensitivity.”

Key Findings

The review found that although sex and gender significantly influence diabetes presentation, risk, and outcomes, most clinical guidelines continue to follow a uniform “one-size-fits-all” approach. Overall integration of sex- and gender-responsive recommendations was limited, indicating an important gap in evidence-based, inclusive diabetes care.