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Arrington-Sanders R, Connell NT, Coon D, Dowshen N, Goldman AL, Goldstein Z, Grimstad F, Javier NM, Kim E, Murphy M, Poteat T, Radix A, Schwartz A, St Amand C, Streed CG, Tangpricha V, Toribio M, Goldstein RH. Assessing and Addressing the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism Across the Spectrum of Gender Affirming Care: A Review. Endocr Pract 2023; 29:272-278. [PMID: 36539066 PMCID: PMC10081942 DOI: 10.1016/j.eprac.2022.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Accumulating evidence demonstrates that gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) improves mental health outcomes in transgender persons. Data specific to the risks associated with GAHT for transgender persons continue to emerge, allowing for improvements in understanding, predicting, and mitigating adverse outcomes while informing discussion about desired effects. Of particular concern is the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the context of both longitudinal GAHT and the perioperative setting. Combining what is known about the risk of VTE in cisgender individuals on hormone therapy (HT) with the evidence for transgender persons receiving HT allows for an informed approach to assess underlying risk and improve care in the transgender community. OBSERVATIONS Hormone formulation, dosing, route, and duration of therapy can impact thromboembolic risk, with transdermal estrogen formulations having the lowest risk. There are no existing risk scores for VTE that consider HT as a possible risk factor. Risk assessment for recurrent VTE and bleeding tendencies using current scores may be helpful when assessing individual risk. Gender affirming surgeries present unique perioperative concerns, and certain procedures include a high likelihood that patients will be on exogenous estrogens at the time of surgery, potentially increasing thromboembolic risk. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Withholding GAHT due to potential adverse events may cause negative impacts for individual patients. Providers should be knowledgeable about the management of HT in transgender individuals of all ages, as well as in the perioperative setting, to avoid periods in which transgender individuals are off GAHT. Treatment decisions for both anticoagulation and HT should be individualized and tailored to patients' overall goals and desired outcomes, given that the physical and mental health benefits of gender affirming care may outweigh the risk of VTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Arrington-Sanders
- Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nathan T Connell
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Devin Coon
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Departments of Plastic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nadia Dowshen
- Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anna L Goldman
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zil Goldstein
- Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York, NY; City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, New York, New York
| | - Frances Grimstad
- Division of Gynecology, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Noelle Marie Javier
- Associate Professor, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Ellie Kim
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Martina Murphy
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Tonia Poteat
- Associate Professor of Social Medicine, Center for Health Equity Research, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Asa Radix
- Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York, New York
| | - Aviva Schwartz
- North American Thrombosis Forum, Brookline, Massachusetts
| | - Colt St Amand
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas; Department of Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Carl G Streed
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Vin Tangpricha
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Lipids, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA and the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia
| | - Mabel Toribio
- Metabolism Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert H Goldstein
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Affirming Hormone Treatment for a Transgender Adolescent After a Venous Thromboembolic Event. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2022; 44:e892-e895. [PMID: 35293883 DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000002442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical affirmation, including gender-affirming hormones, is an essential component in the treatment of many transgender and gender-diverse youth. The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during testosterone therapy for gender-affirming care is not fully elucidated. OBSERVATION The case describes a 17-year-old transgender male treated with testosterone therapy who presented with an occlusive deep vein thrombosis of right axillary and subclavian veins. Testosterone level was 920 ng/dL at the time of the deep vein thrombosis, and he had no risk factors for VTE. A complete hypercoagulable workup was negative. CONCLUSIONS The possibility of testosterone therapy as a risk factor for VTE may suggest the need to include this information during informed consent discussions. Long-term anticoagulation may be considered for those restarting testosterone therapy.
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O’Connell MA, Nguyen TP, Ahler A, Skinner SR, Pang KC. Approach to the Patient: Pharmacological Management of Trans and Gender-Diverse Adolescents. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:241-257. [PMID: 34476487 PMCID: PMC8684462 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Internationally, increasing numbers of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria are presenting for care. In response, gender-affirming therapeutic interventions that seek to align bodily characteristics with an individual's gender identity are more commonly being used. Depending on a young person's circumstances and goals, hormonal interventions may aim to achieve full pubertal suppression, modulation of endogenous pubertal sex hormone effects, and/or development of secondary sex characteristics congruent with their affirmed gender. This is a relatively novel therapeutic area and, although short-term outcomes are encouraging, longer term data from prospective longitudinal adolescent cohorts are still lacking, which may create clinical and ethical decision-making challenges. Here, we review current treatment options, reported outcomes, and clinical challenges in the pharmacological management of trans and gender-diverse adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele A O’Connell
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Adolescent Medicine, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence: Michele A. O’Connell, FRACP, MD, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Royal Children’s Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
| | - Thomas P Nguyen
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2560, Australia
| | - Astrid Ahler
- Reproductive Medicine and Gynecological Endocrinology (RME), University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - S Rachel Skinner
- Speciality of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney University, Children’s Hospital Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Ken C Pang
- Department of Adolescent Medicine, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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Poteat TC, Divsalar S, Streed CG, Feldman JL, Bockting WO, Meyer IH. Cardiovascular Disease in a Population-Based Sample of Transgender and Cisgender Adults. Am J Prev Med 2021; 61:804-811. [PMID: 34364725 PMCID: PMC8608688 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Existing data on cardiovascular disease among transgender people are inconsistent and are derived from nonrepresentative samples or population-based data sets that do not include transgender-specific risk factors such as gender-affirming hormone use and gender minority stressors. A nationally representative sample of cisgender and transgender adults aged ≥40 years was used to assess the prevalence and correlates of smoking, select cardiovascular disease conditions, and venous thromboembolism. METHODS Participants were recruited from 2016 to 2018, with analysis conducted in December 2020 with 114 transgender and 964 cisgender individuals. Sample weights and multiple imputations were used for all estimates except for descriptive statistics. Logistic regression models estimated the ORs and 95% CIs expressing the relationship between each outcome variable and a set of independent variables. Each model controlled for race and age. RESULTS No meaningful differences between cisgender and transgender participants were found in smoking or cardiovascular disease conditions. However, there was an increased odds of venous thromboembolism among transgender women compared with those among cisgender women. Transgender people had greater odds of discrimination, psychological distress, and adverse childhood experiences. These stressors were associated with increased odds of a cardiovascular condition, and everyday discrimination and adverse childhood experiences were associated with increased odds of smoking. Discrimination and psychological distress were associated with venous thromboembolism. CONCLUSIONS Transgender people face disparities in cardiovascular disease risk. This study provides support for the gender minority stress model as a framework for understanding cardiovascular disease disparities. Future research with larger samples and adjudicated outcomes is needed to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonia C Poteat
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
| | - Shahrzad Divsalar
- Institute for Digital Research & Education, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Carl G Streed
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jamie L Feldman
- Program in Human Sexuality, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Walter O Bockting
- Division of Gender, Sexuality, and Health, New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia Psychiatry, New York, New York
| | - Ilan H Meyer
- Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Mullins ES, Geer R, Metcalf M, Piccola J, Lane A, Conard LAE, Mullins TLK. Thrombosis Risk in Transgender Adolescents Receiving Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy. Pediatrics 2021; 147:peds.2020-023549. [PMID: 33753543 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2020-023549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Many transgender youth experience gender dysphoria, a risk factor for suicide. Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) ameliorates this risk but may increase the risk for thrombosis, as seen from studies in adults. The aim with this study was to examine thrombosis and thrombosis risk factors among an exclusively adolescent and young adult transgender population. METHODS This retrospective chart review was conducted at a pediatric hospital-associated transgender health clinic. The primary outcome was incidence of arterial or venous thrombosis during GAHT. Secondary measures included the prevalence of thrombosis risk factors. RESULTS Among 611 participants, 28.8% were transgender women and 68.1% were transgender men. Median age was 17 years at GAHT initiation. Median follow-up time was 554 and 577 days for estrogen and testosterone users, respectively. Individuals starting GAHT had estradiol and testosterone levels titrated to physiologic normal. Multiple thrombotic risk factors were noted among the cohort, including obesity, tobacco use, and personal and family history of thrombosis. Seventeen youth with risk factors for thrombosis were referred for hematologic evaluation. Five individuals were treated with anticoagulation during GAHT: 2 with a previous thrombosis and 3 for thromboprophylaxis. No participant developed thrombosis while on GAHT. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we examined thrombosis and thrombosis risk factors in an exclusively adolescent and young adult population of transgender people receiving GAHT. These data suggest that GAHT in youth, titrated within physiologic range, does not carry a significant risk of thrombosis in the short-term, even with the presence of preexisting thrombosis risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Mullins
- Divisions of Hematology and.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | | | | | - Adam Lane
- Bone Marrow Transplantation and Immune Deficiency, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, and.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Lee Ann E Conard
- Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; and.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Tanya L Kowalczyk Mullins
- Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; and .,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Venous Thromboembolism in a Transgender Adolescent on Testosterone Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2020; 42:e352-e354. [PMID: 32079984 DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000001755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of pediatric venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been increasing in the past few decades and can be associated with significant mortality and morbidity. There are known risk factors associated with VTE, including estrogen therapy. However, the relationship between testosterone and VTE remains unclear. Here, we present a 17-year-old female-to-male transgender patient without a history of inherited thrombophilia, who developed pulmonary embolism while receiving testosterone injections for gender dysphoria. Despite the limited data on testosterone and the risk of VTE, health care providers should counsel patients and family about the possible increased risk of VTE when starting testosterone.
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Coronary Embolism and Myocardial Infarction in a Transgender Male Undergoing Hormone Therapy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Case Rep Cardiol 2020; 2020:4829169. [PMID: 32257449 PMCID: PMC7125482 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4829169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Due to the complex interaction between the underlying disease, psychosocial factors, and the high-dose hormonal therapy, transgender patients pose a therapeutic and diagnostic challenge, especially during emergencies. This case presents one such clinical dilemma using the example of a case of myocardial infarction.
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Mahfouda S, Moore JK, Siafarikas A, Hewitt T, Ganti U, Lin A, Zepf FD. Gender-affirming hormones and surgery in transgender children and adolescents. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2019; 7:484-498. [PMID: 30528161 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(18)30305-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines on the treatment of gender incongruent people recommend the use of gender-affirming cross-sex hormone (CSH) interventions in transgender children and adolescents who request this treatment, who have undergone psychiatric assessment, and have maintained a persistent transgender identity. The intervention can help to affirm gender identity by inducing masculine or feminine physical characteristics that are congruent with an individual's gender expression, while aiming to improve mental health and quality-of-life outcomes. Some transgender individuals might also wish to access gender-affirming surgeries during adolescence; however, research to inform best clinical practice for surgeons and other medical professionals is scarce. This Review explores the available published evidence on gender-affirming CSH and surgical interventions in transgender children and adolescents, amalgamating findings on mental health outcomes, cognitive and physical effects, side-effects, and safety variables. The small amount of available data suggest that when clearly indicated in accordance with international guidelines, gender-affirming CSHs and chest wall masculinisation in transgender males are associated with improvements in mental health and quality of life. Evidence regarding surgical vaginoplasty in transgender females younger than age 18 years remains extremely scarce and conclusions cannot yet be drawn regarding its risks and benefits in this age group. Further research on an international scale is urgently warranted to clarify long-term outcomes on psychological functioning and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Mahfouda
- Centre and Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Julia K Moore
- Centre and Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Gender Diversity Service, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Child and Adolescent Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Aris Siafarikas
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Timothy Hewitt
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Uma Ganti
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ashleigh Lin
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Florian Daniel Zepf
- Centre and Discipline of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
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