Surgical and pharmacological reassignment: influence on transsexuals cardiovascular risk profile

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The aim was to evaluate and stratify early cardiovascular risk of transsexuals undergone pharmacological and/or surgical gender reassignment. METHODS: Fifty-six transsexuals were divided into two groups: 1- undergone gonadectomy (orchiectomy for trans women and hystero-annessiectomy for trans men); group 2- hormone replacement therapy alone. All underwent carotid artery intima-media thickness (C-IMT) and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of brachial artery evaluations. RESULTS: FMD was lower in patients undergone gonadectomy as compared to not- surgically treated patients (Group 1: 5.711 vs Group 2: 7.339, p < 0.0001). Mean C-IMT was higher in group 1 than group 2 (group 1: 0.733 vs group 2: 0.582). The duration of hormone therapy correlates positively with mean C-IMT (B = 0.001) and negatively with FMD (%) (B = - 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular risk, which is expressed in terms of endothelial (FMD) and morphological (C-IMT) dysfunction, increases in subjects undergoing gonadectomy as compared to those receiving cross-sex reassignment therapy alone. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.