Majority of side effects suffered by trans people taking hormone drugs are 'serious' and potentially life threatening, according to 'striking' analysis of official data
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13083339/Majority-effects-suffered-trans-people-taking-hormone-drugs-potentially-life-threatening-according-striking-analysis-official-data.html
Most transgender people in the US who take hormone drugs do not suffer serious side effects - but for those who do, the symptoms are usually life-threatening.
That is the conclusion of one of the first studies on the therapies, which have been increasingly used off-label in recent years to treat gender dysphoria.
The researchers analyzed the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for side effects that occurred in trans people taking the medications to affirm their new gender.
They found just over 400 cases of adverse side effects, dating as far back as the database goes until June 2023. However, given that at least 700,000 trans Americans are estimated to be on the drugs, the researchers said the true number of adverse reactions is likely 'underreported.'
Of the reports, up to 88 percent were the most serious type - including organ damage, cancer, and death. The study team described this high number of serious events as 'striking.'
Researchers found just over 400 cases, start from as far back as the database goes until June 2023. The types of reactions shown were the most commonly reported among all of the adverse events
The researchers - from Georgia and Utah - said their findings 'should be interpreted cautiously' because FAERS reports are voluntary and anyone can log one - including patients, family members, healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers.
The reports are also not verified, which means the medication did not necessarily cause the reaction listed, just that they are believed by the patient or doctor to be linked.
However, by the same token, the researchers said 'the voluntary nature of these reports may lead to underreporting, thus potentially underestimating the actual incidence of adverse events.'
The FAERS system is meant to act like an early warning system for side-effects. Data must be carefully analyzed, however, to determine whether any patterns are caused by the drug or are from another factor.
The latest analysis by pharmacists from the University of Utah and the University of Georgia is the first of its kind.
In it, they examined 467 adverse drug reactions.
The average age of trans men (female at birth and transitioning to male) was 29.5 years while the average age of trans women was 33.3 years.
Of those adverse events reported in trans men, 88 percent were categorized as serious, while the figure was 54 percent for trans women.
Most of these injuries reported in trans men – 26.5 percent – were injuries to organ systems, poisoning, and complications such as infections, bleeding at the injection site, and nerve damage.
Psychiatric disorders accounted for 14.8 percent of adverse events in trans men, and nervous system disorders accounted for 12.2 percent.
In the group of health issues related to injuries, poisonings, and procedure complications, the most common problem reported was 'off label use of the product' (44 cases, or about 72.1 percent of all), though the researchers did not specify whether that meant people were taking the wrong doses or taking the medicines too often or too infrequently.
In terms of mental health problems, people reported feeling anxious (11.8 percent), depressed (8.8 percent), or having thoughts of suicide (8.8 percent).
Among issues with the nervous system, a condition called idiopathic intracranial hypertension - a rare neurological condition characterized by increased pressure within the skull - was the most frequently reported (18 cases, or about 64.3 percent).
About 11 percent of reported problems were related to growths in the body, with breast cancer being the most common (12 cases, or about 48 percent).
While this is not to say supplementary estrogen was the cause of people's breast cancer, studies have shown that higher blood levels of the estrogen called estradiol are linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
In the category of problems related to the reproductive system and breasts, there were 17 cases reported, making up about 7.4 percent of all.
In trans women (male at birth transitioning to female), a significant number of adverse events (63 cases, which is around 26.6 percent) were related to issues like injuries, poisonings, or complications from medical procedures.
The most common specific problem in this category was using drugs in a way not officially approved (40 reports, making up about 63.5 percent).
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