Bridging Gender Gap in Pulmonology: 2nd National Conference on Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases

I am pleased to announce my participation, as moderator, in the 2nd National Conference "GENDER MEDICINE IN PNEUMOLOGY FOCUS ON: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases", to be held in Rome on 27 and 28 February 2026 under the patronage of the Italian Thoracic Society (AIPO-ITS) and the Italian Respiratory Society (SIP/IRS).

This conference represents a crucial opportunity for discussion on a topic that I consider fundamental to the progress of our discipline: the integration of gender medicine into pulmonology practice.

The Rationale: Bridging the Scientific Gap

As highlighted in the conference rationale, biological, socio-cultural and environmental differences related to gender profoundly influence the prevalence, clinical manifestations, severity, progression, response to drugs and mortality of respiratory diseases.

It is a well-established fact that, for example, women are more susceptible to damage from smoking and pollutants, and often have atypical clinical manifestations that can hinder the diagnostic-therapeutic process. For this reason, bridging the gender gap is not only a matter of fairness, but a scientific necessity for the development of personalised therapies.

Session IV: Where Are We Now?

I will have the honour of moderating Session IV, scheduled for Saturday, 28 February 2026, entitled “BRIDGING THE GENDER GAP: WHERE ARE WE NOW?”. Together with my colleagues M. Carone and F. De Michele, we will lead the discussion on topics of vital importance:

• Overcoming the gap in clinical trials, gender-specific pharmacology, and the importance of gender in guidelines.
• A.M. Moretti will pose the crucial question: ‘Are we ready to understand “gender” rather than “sex”?’
• Gender differences in respiratory diseases in children.

The day will conclude with a round table discussion featuring “patient voices” and the Pulmonology Council.

I am convinced that the implementation of specific guidelines and increased research that takes gender differences into account is the only way to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment for all our patients. I look forward to seeing you in Rome for a stimulating discussion.