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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Establishment of Rat Models Mimicking Gender-affirming Hormone Therapies
Published on: January 10, 2025
Body composition and cardiometabolic changes during gender-affirming hormone therapy: 12-month longitudinal study
Elif Seray Korkmaz1, Ahmet Toygar Kalkan1, Aysen Akalın1
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey.
Testosterone therapy in transgender men improved body composition over 12 months, with favorable changes in fat mass and fat-free mass. Cardiometabolic indices showed modest shifts, suggesting PAI and TyG may monitor early changes.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Cardiology
- Transgender Health
Background:
- Testosterone therapy is known to alter body composition in transgender men.
- Short-term cardiometabolic effects of testosterone therapy require further characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in body composition and cardiometabolic parameters over 12 months in transgender men undergoing testosterone therapy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study of 15 transgender men on intramuscular testosterone therapy.
- Assessment of anthropometrics, body composition, blood pressure, and cardiometabolic markers (lipids, glucose, HbA1c, PAI, TyG index) at baseline and 12 months.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in total testosterone, body weight, BMI, and fat-free mass; significant decrease in body fat percentage.
- Significant decrease in HDL cholesterol; non-significant increase in triglycerides.
- Significant increases in plasma atherogenic index (PAI) and triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index; non-significant changes in blood pressure.
Conclusions:
- Testosterone therapy in transgender men is associated with favorable body composition changes and modest cardiometabolic shifts over 12 months.
- PAI and TyG index may serve as useful indicators for monitoring early cardiometabolic changes.
- Larger prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.
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