Differences in serum sex hormone and plasma lipid levels in Caucasian and African-American premenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
Risk of coronary heart disease is higher in African-American than in Caucasian women.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of sex hormone levels, race, and measures of body fat to the variation in plasma lipid levels, a well-established risk factor for coronary heart disease.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study.


METHODS
The study was conducted in the general community.


METHODS
Sixty Caucasian and 117 African-American premenopausal women participated.


METHODS
Body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist to hip circumference ratio (WHR), as well as plasma lipid and serum sex hormone levels, were assessed.


RESULTS
Relative to Caucasian women, African-American women had significantly higher mean BMI (23.92 +/- 3.87 vs. 26.99 +/- 5.87 kg/m2, respectively; P < 0.001), and WHR (0.733 +/- 0.052 vs. 0.757 +/- 0.068; P < 0.03). Also, plasma triglyceride (TG) levels were significantly lower in African-American women (81 +/- 61 vs. 55 +/- 24 mg/dl; P < 0.0001). Serum estrone sulfate (556 +/- 323 vs. 442 +/- 332 pg/ml, Caucasian vs. African-American; P < 0.001), estradiol (E2) (55.1 +/- 43.6 vs. 35.8 +/- 17.7 pg/ml; P < 0.0001), androstenedione (2.6 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.7 ng/ml; P < 0.0001), and testosterone (0.36 +/- 0.12 vs. 0.31 +/- 0.19 ng/ml; P < 0.002) levels were significantly lower in African-American women than in Caucasian women. After correction for the effects of age, BMI, and WHR, serum E2 levels were significantly and positively associated with plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in all women, and serum estrone sulfate levels with plasma total cholesterol and TG levels in African-American women.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that race is an important determinant of plasma TG and serum sex hormone levels, even after adjustment for differences in body size. A significant association between endogenous E2 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels exists in premenopausal women, independent of their race.
Lamon-Fava
Stefania
S
Lipid Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. stefania.lamon-fava@tufts.edu
Barnett
Junaidah B
JB
Woods
Margo N
MN
McCormack
Christina
C
McNamara
Judith R
JR
Schaefer
Ernst J
EJ
Longcope
Christopher
C
Rosner
Bernard
B
Gorbach
Sherwood L
SL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D017697:Premenopause; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004967:Estrogens; D008055:Lipids; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D014280:Triglycerides