To characterize the effect of sex hormones and chromosomes on cardiometabolic risk biomarkers and cardiovascular measurements in transgender individuals, emphasizing the importance of this understanding.
Key Findings:
Transgender men showed increased systolic blood pressure and a proatherogenic lipoprotein profile (P = .002).
Transgender women experienced beneficial changes in cardiometabolic risk markers early in hormone therapy (P < .01).
Diabetes risk indicators changed in transgender men (P = .025), while opposite changes were observed in transgender women (P = .002).
At 4 weeks post-castration, apparent diabetes risk was lower in XX individuals compared to XY individuals (P = .002).
Interpretation:
The study suggests increased cardiometabolic risk in transgender men and beneficial changes in transgender women during early hormone therapy, with sex chromosomes having fewer intrinsic effects, highlighting the need for tailored clinical approaches.
Limitations:
Small sample size may limit generalizability and introduce potential biases.
Lack of long-term follow-up data beyond 11 months.
Conclusion:
Further research is needed to understand cardiometabolic risk in transgender individuals, particularly focusing on developing validated risk prediction tools and exploring long-term outcomes.
