Do changes in sex steroid hormones precede or follow increases in body weight during the menopause transition? Results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Whether menopause-related changes in sex steroids account for midlife weight gain in women or whether weight drives changes in sex steroids remains unanswered.

Objective

The objective of the study was to characterize the potential reciprocal nature of the associations between sex hormones and their binding protein with waist circumference in midlife women.

Design, setting, and participants

The study included 1528 women (mean age 46 yr) with 9 yr of follow-up across the menopause transition from the observational Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Main outcome measures

Waist circumference, SHBG, testosterone, FSH, and estradiol were measured.

Results

Current waist circumference predicted future SHBG, testosterone, and FSH but not vice vers

SUBMITTER: Wildman RP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3431568 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature