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Perone AK. An Historical Case Study of Trans Exclusion and Empowerment: Implications for Transgender Older Adults and Aging. JOURNAL OF GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL WORK 2024; 67:660-686. [PMID: 38652754 DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2024.2339987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Transgender older adults have a long history of exclusion that shapes current experiences with social services. However, scant gerontological research uses archival data, which can provide critical context for service providers. Moreover, sparse research examines how exclusion can be a catalyst for change that social workers could leverage. Empowerment theory provides a theoretical tool to explain how this is possible. This multidisciplinary case study blends community member interviews and archival data to answer this question: How did exclusion shape empowerment and social change for transgender Americans? This study focuses on the events before and after the Compton's Cafeteria Riot, one of the first acts of LGBTQIA+ collective resistance that led to new services for and by transgender Americans. Data reveal how exclusion facilitated the emergence of collective empowerment among transgender women and queer youth in San Francisco. Archival data shows how exclusion preceded self-efficacy, critical consciousness, involvement with similar others, acquisition of new skills, and ultimately action to eliminate social, economic, and political barriers and power imbalances. This study provides both empirical and theoretical tools to contribute new data and perspectives on trans exclusion and empowerment and its implications for social workers serving transgender older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela K Perone
- Berkeley School of Social Welfare, Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services, University of California, Haviland Hall, Berkeley, California, USA
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Zhang G, Devo P, O'Leary VB, Ovsepian SV. Ageing perspective on cognitive outcomes from reproductive hormone adjustments. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19050. [PMID: 37664737 PMCID: PMC10470197 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to primary reproductive functions, gonadal hormones play an important role in an array of neural mechanisms across the human lifespan. The ageing-related decline in their activity has been linked to the deterioration of cognitive functions in otherwise healthy women, associated with menopause transition, contributing to higher incidents of post-menopause dementia. Given the growing utility of gonadal steroids for birth control, as well as for compensatory treatment of menopause and oophorectomy symptoms, and adjuvant transgender therapy, their long-term effects on neural mechanisms warrant comprehensive assessment. In this article, we present an ageing perspective on the cognitive outcomes from contraceptive and replacement therapeutic use of gonadal hormones and discuss their effects on the risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's dementia. Despite rising data supporting the ameliorative effects of reproductive hormones on cognitive facilities, their impact varies depending on study design and type of intervention, thus, implying dynamic neuro-endocrine interactions with complex compensatory mechanisms. Elucidating differential effects of reproductive hormone adjustments on cognition with underlying mechanisms is expected not only to shed light on important aspects of brain ageing and dementia but to facilitate their use in personalized medicine with improved safety margins and therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Bader College, Herstmonceux Castle, Hailsham, BN27 1RN, United Kingdom
| | - Perry Devo
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich London, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom
| | - Valerie B. O'Leary
- Department of Medical Genetics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Saak V. Ovsepian
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich London, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom
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Pribish AM, Iwamoto SJ. Cardiovascular disease and feminizing gender-affirming hormone therapy: Implications for the provision of safe and lifesaving care. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 33:100650. [PMID: 36968433 PMCID: PMC10035588 DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2023.100650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Sex recorded at birth, gender identity, and feminizing gender-affirming hormone therapy (fGAHT) likely contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in transgender women. Understanding the interplay of these factors is necessary for the provision of safe, affirming, and lifesaving care. Among transgender women taking fGAHT, data show increases in CVD mortality and rates of myocardial infarction, stroke, and venous thromboembolism compared to reference populations, depending on study design and comparators. However, most studies are observational with a paucity of contextualizing information (e.g., dosing, route of administration, gonadectomy status), which makes it difficult to parse adverse fGAHT effects from confounders and interaction with known CVD risk factors (e.g., obesity, smoking, psychosocial and gender minority stressors). Increased CVD risk in transgender women points toward a need for greater attention to CVD management in this population including cardiology referral when indicated and additional research on the mechanisms and mediators of CVD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby M. Pribish
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12631 East 17 Avenue, B130, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Sean J. Iwamoto
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 East 17 Avenue, Mail Stop: 8106, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Endocrinology Service, Medicine Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Eastern Colorado Health Care System, 1700 North Wheeling Street, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- UCHealth Integrated Transgender Program, 1635 Aurora Court, Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion, 6 Floor (Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic), Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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Cheung AS, Nolan BJ, Zwickl S. Transgender health and the impact of aging and menopause. Climacteric 2023; 26:256-262. [PMID: 37011669 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2023.2176217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is used by many transgender people to reduce gender incongruence and improve psychological functioning. As GAHT shares many similarities with menopausal hormone therapy, clinicians supporting people through menopause are ideally placed to manage GAHT. This narrative review provides an overview of transgender health and discusses long-term effects of GAHT to consider when managing transgender individuals across the lifespan. Menopause is less relevant for transgender individuals who take GAHT (often given lifelong) to achieve sex steroid concentrations generally in the range of the affirmed gender. For people using feminizing hormone therapy, there is an elevated risk of venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, stroke and osteoporosis relative to cisgender individuals. For trans people using masculinizing hormone therapy, there is an increased risk of polycythemia, probable higher risk of myocardial infarction and pelvic pain which is poorly understood. Proactive mitigation of cardiovascular risk factors is important for all transgender people and optimization of bone health is important for those using feminizing hormones. With a lack of research to guide GAHT in older age, a shared decision-making approach is recommended for the provision of GAHT to achieve individual goals whilst minimizing potential adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Cheung
- Trans Health Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Endocrinology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Australia
| | - B J Nolan
- Trans Health Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Endocrinology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Australia
| | - S Zwickl
- Trans Health Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Caldwell JZ, Isenberg N. The aging brain: risk factors and interventions for long term brain health in women. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2023; 35:169-175. [PMID: 36912325 PMCID: PMC10023345 DOI: 10.1097/gco.0000000000000849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Poor cognitive aging and dementia pose a significant public health burden, and women face unique risks compared to men. Recent research highlights the role of genetics, menopause, chronic disease, and lifestyle in risk and resilience in women's cognitive aging. This work suggests avenues for clinical action at midlife that may change the course of brain health in aging. RECENT FINDINGS Studies indicate women's risk for poor cognitive aging relates in part to hormone changes at menopause, a time when memory, brain structure and function, and Alzheimer's pathology may be observed in women and not men. Medical and lifestyle risks including diabetes, hypertension, and low physical activity also contribute to women's unique risks. At the same time, literature on resilience suggests women may benefit from lifestyle and chronic disease intervention, possibly more than men. Current studies emphasize the importance of interacting genetic and lifestyle risks, and effects of social determinants of health. SUMMARY Women have greater risk than men for poor cognitive aging; however, by treating the whole person, including genetics, lifestyle, and social environment, clinicians have an opportunity to support healthy cognitive aging in women and reduce the future public health burden of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Z.K. Caldwell
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89106
| | - Nancy Isenberg
- Providence Swedish Center for Healthy Aging, Swedish Neuroscience Institute, 1600 E. Jefferson St. A Level, Seattle, WA 98122
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Velasco RAF, Blakeley A, Rostovsky J, Skeete KJ, Copeland D. Conceptualizing transgender and gender-diverse older adults as a vulnerable population: A systematic review. Geriatr Nurs 2023; 49:139-147. [PMID: 36525871 DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While extant literature clearly illustrates the negative experiences of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people, the intersection between TGD identity and older age in producing vulnerability is poorly understood. The Vulnerable Populations Conceptual Model (VPCM) provides a framework for identifying vulnerable communities. Understanding access to resources, relative risks, and health status experienced by TGD older adults is critical in developing person-centered interventions. METHODS A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines was used. CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, and PsycINFO were searched for studies published from 2017 to 2022. RESULTS Of the seventeen articles included, no articles were based from a nursing journal. Synthesis of findings described TGD older adults as a vulnerable population with limited access to resources and several risks leading to poor health status. CONCLUSION Identifying TGD older adults as a vulnerable population is critical to understand their unique needs. The findings underline implications in nursing education, practice, and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roque Anthony F Velasco
- College of Nursing, University of Colorado Denver, 13120 East 19(th) Avenue, Aurora, Colorado, United States; DAP Health, 1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, California, United States.
| | - Anne Blakeley
- DAP Health, 1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, California, United States
| | - Jacob Rostovsky
- Queer Works, 1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 110-1032, Palm Springs, California, United States
| | - Kimberly June Skeete
- BIOS Clinical Research, 1401 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 201, Palm Springs, California, United States
| | - Darcy Copeland
- School of Nursing, University of Northern Colorado, Gunter Hall 3080, Greeley, Colorado, United States
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Jett S, Malviya N, Schelbaum E, Jang G, Jahan E, Clancy K, Hristov H, Pahlajani S, Niotis K, Loeb-Zeitlin S, Havryliuk Y, Isaacson R, Brinton RD, Mosconi L. Endogenous and Exogenous Estrogen Exposures: How Women's Reproductive Health Can Drive Brain Aging and Inform Alzheimer's Prevention. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:831807. [PMID: 35356299 PMCID: PMC8959926 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.831807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
After advanced age, female sex is the major risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia affecting over 24 million people worldwide. The prevalence of AD is higher in women than in men, with postmenopausal women accounting for over 60% of all those affected. While most research has focused on gender-combined risk, emerging data indicate sex and gender differences in AD pathophysiology, onset, and progression, which may help account for the higher prevalence in women. Notably, AD-related brain changes develop during a 10-20 year prodromal phase originating in midlife, thus proximate with the hormonal transitions of endocrine aging characteristic of the menopause transition in women. Preclinical evidence for neuroprotective effects of gonadal sex steroid hormones, especially 17β-estradiol, strongly argue for associations between female fertility, reproductive history, and AD risk. The level of gonadal hormones to which the female brain is exposed changes considerably across the lifespan, with relevance to AD risk. However, the neurobiological consequences of hormonal fluctuations, as well as that of hormone therapies, are yet to be fully understood. Epidemiological studies have yielded contrasting results of protective, deleterious and null effects of estrogen exposure on dementia risk. In contrast, brain imaging studies provide encouraging evidence for positive associations between greater cumulative lifetime estrogen exposure and lower AD risk in women, whereas estrogen deprivation is associated with negative consequences on brain structure, function, and biochemistry. Herein, we review the existing literature and evaluate the strength of observed associations between female-specific reproductive health factors and AD risk in women, with a focus on the role of endogenous and exogenous estrogen exposures as a key underlying mechanism. Chief among these variables are reproductive lifespan, menopause status, type of menopause (spontaneous vs. induced), number of pregnancies, and exposure to hormonal therapy, including hormonal contraceptives, hormonal therapy for menopause, and anti-estrogen treatment. As aging is the greatest risk factor for AD followed by female sex, understanding sex-specific biological pathways through which reproductive history modulates brain aging is crucial to inform preventative and therapeutic strategies for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Jett
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Niharika Malviya
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eva Schelbaum
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Grace Jang
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eva Jahan
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Katherine Clancy
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hollie Hristov
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Silky Pahlajani
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kellyann Niotis
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Susan Loeb-Zeitlin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yelena Havryliuk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Richard Isaacson
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Roberta Diaz Brinton
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Lisa Mosconi
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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