Grant: Project Gr.- PA: Sex/Gender in Health Res.- Adv. Intersec. in sex/gender science

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an eye disease caused by diabetes that can lead to blindness if left untreated. As the leading cause of blindness among working-age Canadians, early detection of DR is essential to preventing vision loss. When DR advances, it can progress to more severe stages, such as proliferative DR (PDR), which causes irreversible damage to the retina. Macular edema (ME), a swelling in the retina, is another complication of DR and represents the most common cause of vision loss in this condition. Recent research shows that diabetes complications may manifest differently in men and women. Delayed or missed diagnoses-stemming from sex- and gender-based differences in symptom presentation-can hinder effective treatment and management, adversely impacting survival, overall health, and quality of life among men, women, and gender-diverse individuals. Using AI-assisted analysis of retinal images, our lab's recent work suggests that women might be at higher risk for developing macular edema, while men could be more prone to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Despite these differences, current clinical practices do not account for sex in diagnosing, managing, or treating DR. We hypothesize that DR presents differently depending on a person's sex and gender, and our primary goal is to uncover these differences. Our interdisciplinary team of ophthalmologists, engineers, and mathematicians is uniquely equipped to advance this research. The outcomes will identify sex-specific differences in the retinal signs of DR and enable clinicians to detect early indicators with greater precision. Early diagnosis and tailored treatment not only save vision but also offer significant cost savings for the Canadian Health System, contributing to a more personalized approach to diabetes care.