Interrelationships between weight loss, body fat distribution and sex hormones in pre‐ and postmenopausal obese women

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Abstract
Objectives. Relationships between regional body fat distribution and sex hormones as well as changes in sex hormones after weight loss were evaluated. Setting. All subjects were hospitalized in the Institute of Internal Medicine of the University of Verona. Subjects. Twenty‐six premenopausal (age 33.7± 10.2 years) and 15 postmenopausal (age 57.9±5.9 years) obese women. Interventions. Body weight, body‐mass index, waist and hip circumferences, visceral fat by computed tomography and sex hormones were evaluated before and after 4 weeks on a very low energy diet. Results. Body‐mass index was higher in pre‐ than in postmenopausal women, although the difference was not significant. Total and free testosterone were significantly higher in the pre‐ than in the postmenopausal group (Pr=−0.65; Pr=−0.54; Pr=−0.46; Pr=−0.50; Pr=−0.41; Pr=−0.56; PConclusions. Our data show that age, to a greater extent than visceral fat, seems to be negatively associated with steroid sex hormones. Weight loss seems to be associated with changes in sex hormones only in premenopausal women.

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