Long-Term Sex Hormone Treatment in Transgender Care Tied to Changes in Body Composition
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Dec. 3, 2024 -- Long-term sex hormone treatment in transgender individuals can lead to significant changes in body composition and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online Nov. 27 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Tommy R. Lundberg, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and colleagues examined changes in body composition, muscle volumes, and fat distribution as well as muscle strength, arterial stiffness, and cardiometabolic biomarkers in 17 transgender men (TM) and 16 transgender women (TW) at baseline and after one and five to six years of hormone therapy.
The researchers found that skeletal muscle size increased in TM (21 percent after six years) and decreased in TW (7 percent after five years). Muscle strength was unchanged in TW but increased 18 percent after six years in TM. There was almost complete muscle fat infiltration toward the affirmed sex phenotype after one year of therapy in both TM and TW. For fat volume distribution, TW showed increased total adiposity but decreased visceral fat volume, while TM showed increased visceral fat (70 percent) and liver fat, but relatively stable total adipose tissue levels. There were no changes in arterial stiffness and blood pressure, but there was a significant increase in triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein levels in TM after six years.
"These unique longitudinal data underscore the importance of continued clinical monitoring of the long-term health effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy in both TW and, perhaps especially, TM," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Sedentary Behavior in U.S. Adults Declined in Last Decade
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Sedentary behavior among U.S. adults fell between 2013 and 2020 but plateaued after that, according to a research letter published online May 21 in...
Mortality, Sudden Cardiac Death Higher for Male Professional Bodybuilders
THURSDAY, May 22, 2025 -- The risks for death and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are higher for male bodybuilders than amateurs, according to a study published online May 20 in the...
Testosterone Use Not Tied to Gynecological Cancers in Transmasculine Individuals
FRIDAY, May 16, 2025 -- Short-term testosterone use among transmasculine and gender diverse (TMGD) individuals is not associated with an increased risk for gynecological cancers...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.