Background:
There is a paucity of data regarding prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and corresponding cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in transgender individuals. We sought to assess the prevalence of CV risk factors and CVD in transgender persons in the United States.
Methods:
The 2018 Centers for Disease Control’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey was utilized to identify a cohort of 1,038 transgender individuals in the United States. Presence of CVD was noted with a single affirmative response to the following questions: “Has a health care professional ever told you that you had any of the following:” (1) a heart attack or myocardial infarction, (2) angina or coronary heart disease, (3) a stroke?
Results:
Among the 1,038 transgender individuals studied, a total of 145 (14.0%) had CVD while 893 (86.0%) did not. No differences in prevalence of CVD was noted in transgender individuals who transitioned from male-to-female (n=387), female-to-male (n=400), and gender nonconforming status (n=251) (15.0% vs 13.8% vs 12.7%, p=0.72). Transgender individuals with CVD were older, had lower annual income, higher rates of smoking (28.4% vs 18.1%, p=0.004), and higher rates of multiple co-morbidities including asthma (26.6% vs 17.4%, p = 0.009), skin cancer (21.8% vs 5.0%, p <0.001), non-skin cancers (16.8% vs 6.8%, p <0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (27.5% vs 7.0%, p <0.001), arthritis (65.3% vs 28.7%, p<0.001), depressive disorder (42.7% vs 31.0%, p= 0.006), chronic kidney disease (16.2% vs 3.3%, p< 0.001), and diabetes mellitus (42.0% vs 12.7%, p <0.001). No significant differences in race, health insurance status, or body mass index was noted between transgender individuals with CVD versus those without. In multivariable analysis, independent predictors of CVD in transgender individuals included older age, diabetes mellitus [odds ratio (OR) 2.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.73 - 4.58], chronic kidney disease (OR 3.69, 95% CI 1.80 - 7.57), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.19 - 3.99), and depressive disorder (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.09 - 3.03).
Conclusions:
In this observational contemporary study, CVD was prevalent in 14% of transgender individuals in the United States. Predictors of CVD in the transgender population exist and transgender persons should be appropriately screened for CV risk factors so as to minimize their risk of CVD.
Recommendations for the early diagnosis of COPD: the AIMAR view
