Gender Considerations and Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Cardiovascular Disease
摘要
The importance of omega-3 fatty acids and their impact on human health, particularly cardiovascular health, has been known for several decades. For many of those years, the knowledge we gained was primarily focused on the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on a binary population or on those who identified as either male or female. However, as our understanding of the complexities of gender has increased in recent years to become more aware of differing gender identities, the healthcare gaps in the treatment and management of these additional identities have become more evident. In the transgender and gender-diverse (TGGD) population, use of exogenous hormones by gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) has raised new issues for the healthcare community to contemplate and underscores the lacunae of clinical research in providing healthcare answers for a group whose numbers are ever increasing. With the implications of increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among TGGD individuals, there is an unmet need to identify the causes of CVD health disparities in this population. TGGD people are at a higher risk of encountering significant barriers to safe and responsive healthcare services, which can result in greater CVD prevalence and adverse consequences. The extent of the use of omega-3 fatty acids by the TGGD population remains unknown at this time and is a gap that needs to be addressed. Additional research is needed to build a better understanding of the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on the heart health of the TGGD population, with the aim of providing relevant treatment options to improve their health. We must improve our understanding of omega-3 fatty acids in the TGGD population and contribute to their cardiovascular health.