Do hormone pills change your cholesterol?
8125 Long-term Effects of Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT) on Lipid Profile
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Testosterone therapy in trans men did NOT lower HDL or raise LDL as seen in cisgender hypogonadal men.
Prior research in cis men showed testosterone reduces HDL and increases LDL—so this study flips that narrative, suggesting transgender physiology responds differently.
Practical Takeaways
Trans patients on long-term GAHT should get annual blood pressure and BMI checks, especially if they’re gaining weight or have hypertension risk factors.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Testosterone therapy in trans men did NOT lower HDL or raise LDL as seen in cisgender hypogonadal men.
Prior research in cis men showed testosterone reduces HDL and increases LDL—so this study flips that narrative, suggesting transgender physiology responds differently.
Practical Takeaways
Trans patients on long-term GAHT should get annual blood pressure and BMI checks, especially if they’re gaining weight or have hypertension risk factors.
Publication
Journal
Journal of the Endocrine Society
Year
2024
Authors
Guillaume Le, S. Pinkson, Jonathan Trejo, Devjit Tripathy
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Claims (6)
When transgender men take testosterone pills or shots for about four years, their cholesterol and fat levels in the blood don’t really change, even though their testosterone goes up a lot — so it seems like the hormone isn’t messing with their body’s fat and cholesterol balance.
For transgender women taking estrogen pills, patches, or shots for about five years, their cholesterol and fat levels in the blood don’t seem to go up or down much — even though their estrogen goes up and testosterone goes down.
When transgender men take testosterone for several years, their bottom number (diastolic) blood pressure tends to go up a little, and when transgender women take estrogen for several years, their top number (systolic) blood pressure tends to go down a little.
When transgender women take estrogen for a few years, their weight tends to go up a little, but when transgender men take testosterone, their weight usually stays about the same.
Whether transgender women take estrogen as a pill, patch, or shot doesn’t seem to make a difference in how their cholesterol and fats in the blood change over time.