Visceral adipose tissue and liver fat on 17-beta estradiol-dominant gender-affirming hormone therapy: A US-based cohort
Authors' conclusion
Key indices of metabolic health, such as VAT and insulin sensitivity, did not change after 12 months of GAHT. Appendicular lean body mass/height2, a predictor of sarcopenia, unfavorably decreased, while hTG favorably decreased. Awareness of the metabolic effects of GAHT may lead to the implementation of strategies aimed at mitigating sarcopenia risk.
Study context
- Population
- Transgender women and nonbinary individuals without CVD or DM, planning to initiate or recently initiated gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT); academic medical center, Boston, USA; median age 26 (20, 30) years
- Participants
- 26 women
- Outcome
- Change in visceral adipose tissue (VAT)
- Follow-up
- 12 months
Methodological detailssingle-centre, 12-month follow-up
- Single-centre
- 12-month follow-up
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass and volume did not change
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Bone density · 12 months
- Lumbar, total hip and femoral bone density increased
Insulin sensitivity · 12 months
- Insulin sensitivity did not change
Intrahepatic triglyceride content (hTG) · 12 months
- hTG decreased; median change
- −0.2 [−1.3, 0.1]%, P = .03
Total lean body mass and appendicular lean body mass/height2 · 12 months
- Total lean body mass and appendicular lean body mass/height2 decreased; mean change
- −0.31 ± 0.38 kg/m², P = .0003
Lipids · 12 months
- Systemic TG increased; HDL-C and LDL-C did not change
Predictors of change in hTG
- Free testosterone at follow-up independently predicted change in hTG, controlling for estradiol, BMI and WHR at follow-up
Original publication
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