Abstract P193: Life’s Simple 7 Risk Factors and Cardiovascular Disease Among Gender Minority Populations in the 2019 BRFSS

Abstract

Gender minority (GM) populations encompass individuals who identify with a gender different from their sex assigned at birth. This includes transgender adults, which make up 0.6% of the U.S. population. Despite cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, there is little research on the cardiovascular health of GM populations. GM adults may be at higher risk for myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease, and stroke compared to their cisgender peers due to minority stress and the impact of stigma on health. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a federal survey administered by state health departments and the CDC. The BRFSS has offered an optional standardized Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) module with measures to identify transgender respondents since 2014 and 30 states included the module in 2019. Life’s Simple 7 criteria are used in preventive medicine and public health to describe ideal cardiovascular health. The seven associated risk factors are smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood glucose. The 2019 BRFSS included core modules related to each of the risk factors and therefore provides a unique opportunity to investigate the cardiovascular health of GM respondents. BRFSS data (N = 177,322) were used to determine prevalence rates of cardiovascular risk factors and disease among GM compared to cisgender adults. R was used to conduct weighted estimates and regressions comparing behavioral and clinical cardiometabolic risk factors and events by gender identity (cisgender male, cisgender female, transgender male-to-female, transgender female-to-male, and transgender gender nonconforming). On average, GM respondents were younger, more racially/ethnically diverse, less likely to have graduated college, less likely to be straight, and reported lower annual household incomes than cisgender males or females. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, income, and sexual orientation, gender nonconforming transgender adults were less likely than both cisgender males (adjusted odds ratio = 1.17, 95% confidence interval: (1.02, 1.34)) and cisgender females (1.15 (1.00, 1.32)) to report exercise in the last 30 days. Gender nonconforming transgender adults were less likely to report a diagnosis of diabetes than cisgender males (0.97 (0.94, 1.00)). No significant differences between gender minority and majority adults were detected for cardiovascular events after adjusting for demographic variables and Life’s Simple 7 risk factors. This may be due to the age difference between the cisgender and GM groups, since older adults have higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Analyses may have been underpowered due to small GM sample sizes, emphasizing the importance of all states including the optional standardized SOGI module.