Although COPD increasingly affects women, they remain underrepresented in medical research. That’s according to the paper, “Underrepresentation of Women in COPD Pharmacologic Trials Relative to Disease Burden: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” which was published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
To examine the issue, researchers reviewed 190 randomized controlled trials (RTC) that tested medications for COPD. They found that, on average, the trials enrolled about 20% fewer women than expected based on real-world disease patterns. Though underrepresentation was present in all regions, the greatest gaps were found in Asia and Africa, while the smallest gaps were in North and South America. Age was a factor, with the researchers finding greater gender disparities in trials enrolling older patients.
“When trials do not include enough women, the results may not fully reflect how well treatments work for everyone,” the researchers wrote. “This can affect how confidently physicians can use evidence from trials to guide treatment decisions for their patients — especially women.”
While representation of women in trials has improved since 2020, the researchers said there is more work to be done. They said more inclusive research practices like broader eligibility criteria, targeted recruitment of women and routine reporting of trial results separately for men and women could go a long way toward addressing these gaps.
“Ensuring that clinical trials reflect the real-world population with COPD is essential for developing treatments that work for everyone,” the researchers wrote.
