National long-term health follow-up for transgender people
An expanded national cohort study of transgender people
This project follows health records of transgender adults in several U.S. health systems to learn how gender‑affirming hormones and other factors affect long‑term health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11099815 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project expands the STRONG cohort by linking electronic medical records from Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, Southern California, and Georgia to track health outcomes over time. Researchers compare transgender patients with matched non‑transgender controls on outcomes such as blood clots, stroke, psychiatric medication use, and suicide attempts, and they will examine hormone types, doses, and routes of administration. The expanded cohort increases the number of people and adds longer follow‑up to provide more reliable information about risks tied to specific treatments. The work uses existing medical records rather than new clinic visits, so people whose records are included may be followed without needing extra appointments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are transgender adults whose medical records are in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Southern California, or Georgia and who received gender‑related care during the study period.
Not a fit: People who receive care outside the participating health systems or who lack recorded gender‑related care in those electronic records are unlikely to be included and may not benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help patients and clinicians choose safer hormone regimens and improve monitoring to reduce risks like blood clots, stroke, and serious mental‑health crises.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier STRONG analyses have already linked estrogen use to higher risks of venous thromboembolism and ischemic stroke and shown greater psychiatric medication use and suicide attempts, but larger samples and longer follow‑up are still needed.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goodman, Michael — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Goodman, Michael
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.