Advancing Research on Stress, Resilience, and Aging in Transgender Populations

Transgender individuals experience profound health disparities across the life course, shaped by developmental, social, and environmental stressors that accumulate over time. As they age, these disparities manifest in poorer physical and mental health, increased disability, and heightened risks of multimorbidity compared to cisgender peers. This editorial examines the scientific value of integrating life course frameworks, minority stress models, and exposome research to understand the biological and psychosocial mechanisms underlying these disparities. The importance of investigating resilience is highlighted -both physiological and psychosocial-as a key factor in promoting healthy aging, alongside the need to study intersectionality, particularly how race, ethnicity, immigration status, and socioeconomic context interact to influence health outcomes. Additionally, research opportunities are outlined to evaluate the long-term impact of gender-affirming care, advocacy efforts, and macro-level social stressors on health trajectories. It is emphasized how insights gained from transgender-focused research can inform broader health science, including comparative investigations in other high-stress populations, such as military veterans. Together, these lines of inquiry can advance precision health strategies, foster inclusive and person-centered healthcare models, and ultimately improve health equity across diverse aging populations.