Longitudinal changes in regional fat and muscle composition and cardiometabolic biomarkers over 5 years of hormone therapy in transgender individuals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Longitudinal studies investigating hormone therapy in transgender individuals are rare and often limited to 1- to 2-year follow-up periods.

Objectives and methods

We examined changes in body composition, muscle volumes, and fat distribution as well as muscle strength, arterial stiffness, and cardiometabolic biomarkers in both transgender men (TM; n = 17, age 25 ± 5 years) and transgender women (TW; n = 16, age 28 ± 5 years) at baseline and after 1 and 5-6 years of hormone therapy in a longitudinal prospective cohort design. Whole-body and regional fat and muscle volumes were analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging, and blood samples were taken.

Results

Skeletal muscle size increased in TM (21% after 6 years) and decreased in TW (7% after 5 years). Muscle

SUBMITTER: Lundberg TR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11771690 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature