| Popis: |
As the population of transgender individuals continues to grow and the utilization of hormone therapy becomes more common, it is becoming more important to completely understand the effects it has on the body. The current recommendations regarding administration of testosterone therapy stem from small studies with young cohorts that found little evidence of increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the transgender male population. This is expected as CVD in populations younger than 50 are a relatively rare occurrence. Recent cross-sectional studies that include the whole transgender population have shown an association between being a transgender male and having a myocardial infarction (MI). Numerous studies have shown that testosterone therapy increases a multitude of risk factors for CVD, including increased hematocrit, cholesterol, blood pressure, and diminished endothelial function. Other risk factors are usually clustered in transgender populations including increased social stressors, substance abuse, poor socioeconomic status, and increased health disparities. This study will find the rate of CVD in an older population of transgender males, using transgender males who do not take testosterone therapy as a control, in order to find the true effect that testosterone therapy has on cardiovascular disease. |
