Correlation of Serum Total Testosterone with Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women

Hong, Sang Mo; Choi, Woong Hwan; Kim, Jung Mi; Yong, Moon Ji; Lee, Chang Beom; Park, Yong Soo; Kim, Dong Sun; Ahn, You Hern; Kim, Tae Hwa

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome is increased in the transition to menopause. And relative androgenicitis are respected as a cause of the metabolic syndrome after menopause. But there is little knowledge of testosterone in this transition.
METHODS
430 healthy women in the OOhospital from May, 2003 to April, 2004 were studied retrospectively. We measured the Body Mass Index(BMI), abdominal circumflex(AC), total testosterone, FSH, Triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C and fasting glucose. Postmenopausal women defined as a serum FSH over 40mIU/mL. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Two side P<0.05 was considered significant.
RESULTS
Postmenopausal women were 147 persons and premenopausal women were 283 persons. There were no differences in the mean value of BMI, AC, TG, HDL-C, testosterone between pre- and postmenopausal women. But there were significant differences in LDL-C(107+/-27.9 vs. 118+/-28.5; P< 0.001) and fasting glucose(94.2+/-17.2, 98.5+/-20.3; P<0.01) between two groups. Testosterone had a negative correlation only with age(r=-0.120) in all women group. And testosterone was correlated with BMI(r=0.193) in the postmenopausal women. But testosterone had no correlation with other metabolic syndromes factors(TG, HDL-C, fasting glucose). FSH had positive correlations with AC(r=0.101), Cholesterol(r=0.134), HDL-C(r=0.137).
CONCLUSION
Testosterone had not correlated with the shift toward a more atherogenic lipid profile, and the increase of fasting glucose, but the obesity and the central adiposity in postmenopausal women. So the testosterone has no key roles of increasing metabolic syndrome in the menopause. But it is just a product of adipocyte.