Journal of Reproduction & Infertility

Journal of Reproduction & Infertility

Central obesity in women and its association with serum level of testosterone and estradiol

Authors
Mohsen Maddah 1
Abolghasem Jazayery 2
Reyhan Mirdamadi 3
Mohammad Reza Eshraghiyan 4
1 Nutrition Department, Faculty of Public Health, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
2 Human Nutrition and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran Medical Sciences University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Obstetric and Midwifery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbyat Modarress University, Tehran, Iran
4 Epidemiology Department, Faculty of Publi Health, Tehran Medical Sciences University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Central obesity is an important cause of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. The relationship between sex hormones, especially androgens, and body fat distribution in women is controversial. This study investigated the relationship between sex hormones, such as total testosterone DHEA-S, LH, FSH, esteradiol and insulin, with Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) in 176 women with age: 25.8±6.0 years (18-43) and BMI: 27.3±4.4 (17-51 kg/m2). Serum level of sex hormones including total testosterone, estradiol, FSH, LH, Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S) were measured by radio immuno assay. Our findings showed that WHR was positively correlated with serum level of testosterone (r=0.15, P=0.05) and it was negatively related to serum level of estradiol (r=-0.1, P=0.05). Sex hormone concentrations were not different in obese and normal weight women, but women with central obesity (WHR>0.85) had significantly higher levels of testosterone (2.4±0.7 vs 2.1±0.7 nmol/L, P=0.001) and lower levels of serum estradiol (24.1±8.7 vs 57.6±14.5 pmol/L, P=0.009) than women with low WHR (WHR
Keywords
BMI
Central obesity
Estradiol
sex hormone
testosterone
Waist to hip ratio
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Journal of Reproduction & Infertility
Volume 3, Issue 4
Autumn 2002
Pages 14-20