Trans women taking hormones are at greater risk of getting cardiovascular diseases, study suggests

A new study has recently found that trans women taking hormones like estrogen are 95% more likely to get cardiovascular problems than biological men.

The study was published in the European Journal of Endocrinology, as per the New York Post. Here’s a brief on what’s the study all about.

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Trans women on gender-affirming hormones more likely to suffer from heart diseases

Transgender women on estrogens are more likely to get heart attacks. (Image via Freepik/msgrowth)

During the study, researchers found that almost all transgender women (individuals assigned male but identified as women) were at a potentially higher risk of a variety of fatal cardiovascular problems. These include strokes, heart attacks, high blood fat, high blood pressure and high cholesterol level.

According to the New York Post, the study revealed that trans women are almost twice as likely to get a variety of heart problems and other medical conditions as men.

About the study

For the study, researchers examined the health details of more than 2,000 trans people, both men and women, in Denmark. The participants were in their early to mid-20s with an average age of 21 and 27. The authors looked at their health details over a period of five years.

Researchers compared the heart diseases of trans people to a controlled group of more than 26,000 people. The results were then shared with the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, according to The Telegraph.

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What did the study find?

Hormone medications can lead to fatal health conditions in trans women. (Image via Freepik/jcomp)

The authors of the study found that the risk of any kind of cardiovascular disease was much higher in trans women and men, compared with biological men and women.

The study revealed that people assigned male at birth and taking hormones like estrogen and other hormone therapies as trans women are approximately 93% more likely to get cardiovascular problems compared to biological men and 73% higher than individuals assigned female at birth.

The most common health conditions found in transgender people are high blood fat and high blood pressure. Common symptoms of high blood pressure can include mild to severe chest pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, excess sweating, anxiety, vision problems and dizziness.

Symptoms of high blood pressure can include chest pain, headaches. (Image via Pexels/Towfiqu barbhuiya)

Transgender men taking hormones like testosterone are 2.2 times at a greater risk of heart disease compared with biological men and 63% at a higher risk compared with control women.

Discussing the details, the lead researcher of the study, Dr. Dorte Glintborg said:

"For trans women, hormone treatments like estrogen will enhance fat mass and lower lean body mass, and increased estrogen is usually associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease as well as inflammation."

However, it's important to note that in this study, other important factors associated with transgender people were not examined. Researchers did not examine the effects of BMI, lifestyle habits like drinking and smoking and a family history of diseases.

Hence, in conclusion, the authors reckon more studies and research are needed in the future to carefully determine trans women and men’s treatment options in regard to their individual bodily and metabolic functions.