Hormonal treatments administered to transgender people can alter blood pressure and thus generate hypertension.
- The effects of hormonal therapies in gender transitions are poorly understood
- In men, the risk of hypertension seems important with its vascular and cardiac consequences
The long-term consequences of taking hormones are little or poorly known. American researchers have looked into this subject. In the scientific journal Hypertension, they publish the largest and longest observational study carried out on this question. They find that taking hormone therapy in the context of gender transition is associated with changes in blood pressure in transgender men and transgender women.
Differences between transgender men and women
“There are major gaps in medical knowledge regarding the effects of hormone therapies for transgender people“, insists Michael S. Irwig, one of the main authors of this study. With his team, he followed 470 patients between 2007 and 2015: all were taking hormone treatment for their transition. Their blood pressure was measured before the start of their hormone therapy, then it was recorded at different stages for nearly five years.The data collected shows a difference between transgender women and transgender men: for the former, the systolic pressure fell by 4.00 mm Hg from the first few months of treatment. For transgender men, systolic pressure increased by an average of 2.6 mm Hg at the same time.”Testosterone use in transgender men may increase risk of heart attack or stroke if their high blood pressure is not treated“, say the authors of the study.
Better follow-up needed..
According to them, it is necessary to carry out special medical monitoring for transgender people, in particular to check blood pressure. They also suggest that more research be done on the subject, as not everyone reacts the same way when they start drug treatment.
.. and more information for patients
In 2018, a Californian team shed light on the cardiovascular risk to which transgender women are exposed. Their risk of venous thromboembolic disease, or the appearance of a blood clot, is almost twice as high, compared to cisgender people. “We hope people will understand that we are not trying to scare anyonethe author of the study, Michel Goodman, had then declared to Reuters. We are simply saying that there are questions that need to be answered to guide therapy. Risks come with benefits, and benefits come with risks.“
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