Research Indicates Hormone Therapy May Carry Health Risks for Transgender Men
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New Delhi, Nov 28 (NationPress) A recent investigation highlights that long-term sex hormone therapy for transgender individuals can result in substantial transformations in body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors, especially in transgender men, as reported in a study published on Thursday.
Hormone therapy serves as a gender-affirming medical intervention that assists transgender individuals in aligning their physical appearance with their gender identities.
The research, featured in the Journal of Internal Medicine, indicates that the extended application of hormone therapy leads to changes in fat volumes over time, with the most significant alterations in muscle mass and strength observed after just one year of treatment.
Conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, the study monitored 17 adult transgender men and 16 transgender women who received treatment with testosterone and estrogen, respectively.
Utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they assessed body composition and evaluated metabolic risk factors through blood tests, blood pressure readings, and measurements of vascular stiffness.
The imaging scans were performed prior to commencing hormone therapy, again after one year, and subsequently after five to six years to evaluate the changes.
Tommy Lundberg, from the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Karolinska, noted that transgender men undergoing testosterone treatment experienced an average muscle volume increase of 21 percent over six years.
In addition to this, their abdominal fat increased by 70 percent, accompanied by higher liver fat and elevated levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol, which potentially heightens the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Lundberg emphasized the importance of ongoing monitoring of long-term health effects associated with hormone therapy in transgender individuals to mitigate risks of cardiovascular disease and other health complications.
Interestingly, the study did not observe a comparable increase in body changes among transgender women receiving estrogen therapy. Their muscle volume decreased by an average of seven percent after five years, while muscle strength remained stable. Transgender women did see an increase in total fat volume, but gained less abdominal fat, according to the researchers.
