---
title: "Include sex and gender differences in clinical treatment guidelines"
id: "nature-0-sex-and-gender-differences-belong-in-treatment-guidelines"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/nature-0-sex-and-gender-differences-belong-in-treatment-guidelines"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "General"
source_name: "Nature Medicine"
source_url: "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04672-4"
published_at: "2026-09-23T10:34:20.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Include sex and gender differences in clinical treatment guidelines
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/nature-0-sex-and-gender-differences-belong-in-treatment-guidelines
- **Specialty:** [General](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/general.md)
- **Primary Source:** Nature Medicine
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04672-4)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-23T10:34:20.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- Alexandra Kautzky‑Willer argues that **sex and gender differences** should be explicitly incorporated into **clinical guidelines**, so guidance documents clearly state what is already known and where evidence is missing. - The author recommends that guidelines declare current evidence gaps and specify what future clinical trials and studies must report to address those gaps. - The piece is a World View commentary published in Nature Medicine on 23 September 2026 by an author affiliated with the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University Vienna. - The author declares no competing interests. - The article is a brief, subscription-content World View that urges better transparency in guideline development and research reporting to ensure applicability across sex and gender groups. - References cited in the article include recent European Heart Journal items and a 2026 publication by the author; specific study details were cited but full article access requires subscription. - The author’s central message is procedural: guidelines should not only give recommendations but should document existing sex- and gender-related evidence, identify missing data, and set reporting expectations for future trials.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
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[nature](https://www.nature.com/) 2. [nature medicine](https://www.nature.com/nm) 3. [world views](https://www.nature.com/nm/articles?type=world-view) 4. article * World View * Published: 23 September 2026 # Sex and gender differences belong in treatment guidelines * [Alexandra Kautzky-Willer](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04672-4#auth-Alexandra-Kautzky_Willer-Aff1) [ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-4105](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-4105)[1](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04672-4#Aff1) [_Nature Medicine_](https://www.nature.com/nm) (2026) [Cite this article](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04672-4#citeas) [ Save article ](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04672-4/save-research?_csrf=DnzZlJyuYDKPgaUNlqocqGpj3hVbkusC) [ View saved research ](https://www.nature.com/saved-research) Clinical guidelines should state what is already known, where evidence is missing and what future trials must report. 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Heart J._ (2025). [Article](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf193) [PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=40878294) [ Google Scholar](http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?&title=&journal=Eur.%20Heart%20J.&doi=10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf193&publication_year=2025&author=Backer%2CJ) 2. Bueno, H. et al. _Eur. Heart J._ (2025). [Article](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf191) [PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=40878270) [ Google Scholar](http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?&title=&journal=Eur.%20Heart%20J.&doi=10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf191&publication_year=2025&author=Bueno%2CH) 3. Kautzky-Willer, A. et al. _Wien. Klin. Wochenschr._ (2026). [Download references](https://citation-needed.springer.com/v2/references/10.1038/s41591-026-04672-4?format=refman&flavour=references) ## Author information ### Authors and Affiliations 1. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medicine 3, Medical University Vienna, General Hospital Vienna, Vienna, Austria Alexandra Kautzky-Willer Authors 1. Alexandra Kautzky-Willer [View author publications](https://www.nature.com/search?author=Alexandra%20Kautzky-Willer) Search author on:[PubMed](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=search&term=Alexandra%20Kautzky-Willer)[Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?as_q=&num=10&btnG=Search+Scholar&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_occt=any&as_sauthors=%22Alexandra%20Kautzky-Willer%22&as_publication=&as_ylo=&as_yhi=&as_allsubj=all&hl=en) ### Corresponding author Correspondence to Alexandra Kautzky-Willer. ## Ethics declarations ### Competing interests The author declares no competing interests. ## Rights and permissions [Reprints and permissions](https://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?title=Sex%20and%20gender%20differences%20belong%20in%20treatment%20guidelines&author=Alexandra%20Kautzky-Willer&contentID=10.1038%2Fs41591-026-04672-4&copyright=Springer%20Nature%20America%2C%20Inc.&publication=1078-8956&publicationDate=2026-09-23&publisherName=SpringerNature&orderBeanReset=true) ## About this article [![Check for updates. 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Heart J._ (2025). [Article](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf193) [PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=40878294) [ Google Scholar](http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?&title=&journal=Eur.%20Heart%20J.&doi=10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf193&publication_year=2025&author=Backer%2CJ) 2. Bueno, H. et al. _Eur. Heart J._ (2025). [Article](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf191) [PubMed](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=40878270) [ Google Scholar](http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?&title=&journal=Eur.%20Heart%20J.&doi=10.1093%2Feurheartj%2Fehaf191&publication_year=2025&author=Bueno%2CH) 3. Kautzky-Willer, A. et al. _Wien. Klin. Wochenschr._ (2026). 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