Centrally located body fat is related to appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Body composition and energy homeostasis are thought to affect the appetitive hormones: adiponectin, leptin, insulin, and ghrelin. This study examined whether centrally located fat and/or overall adiposity were related to these appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Overall and regional body composition was assessed by dual-energy X ray absorptiometry in relation to plasma adiponectin, serum leptin, serum insulin, and plasma ghrelin in 242 postmenopausal women.


RESULTS
Regression analyses revealed that the androidal-to-gynoidal fat mass ratio (18.0%), age (3.2%), and white blood cell count (1.8%) accounted for 28% of the variability in adiponectin (F=22.2; P<0.0001); androidal (waist+hip) fat mass (66.0%), androidal fat mass(2) (6.2%), whole-body lean mass (2.2%), and age (0.8%) accounted for 69% of the variability in leptin (F=102.5; P<0.0001). Regression analyses revealed that sagittal abdominal diameter (8.4%), glucose (5.4%), white blood cell count (2.6%), and dietary omega-3 fatty acids (2.0%) accounted for 32% of the variability in insulin (F=20.8; P<0.0001); waist circumference (12.7%), hip lean mass (2.0%), and white blood cell count (1.9%) accounted for 26% of the variability in ghrelin (F=20.7; P<0.0001). Our results indicated that centralized fat mass was the primary contributor to these appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women.


CONCLUSIONS
Since central adiposity in postmenopausal women was related to appetitive hormones, minimizing weight gain during the menopausal transition may optimize appetitive hormones, thereby facilitating appetite control and weight maintenance.
Ritland
Laura M
LM
Human Metabolic Unit, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, 1115 Human Nutritional Sciences Building, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
Alekel
D Lee
DL
Matvienko
Oksana A
OA
Hanson
Kathy B
KB
Stewart
Jeanne W
JW
Hanson
Laura N
LN
Reddy
Manju B
MB
Van Loan
Marta D
MD
Genschel
Ulrike
U
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin