title: Sex hormones and adipokines in healthy pre-menopausal, post-menopausal and elderly women, and in age-matched men: data from the Brisighella Heart study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sex hormones and adipokines seem to differently interact in both genders at different ages.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To comparatively evaluate the serum level of adipokines and sex hormones in healthy non-pharmacologically treated premenopausal women, post-menopausal women, and elderly women, and in age-matched men.
  
  
  METHODS
  From the historical cohort of the Brisighella Heart Study we selected 199 adult healthy subjects (males: 89; females: 110), aged 62.5±12.4 yr. Men and women included in the age-class subgroups were matched for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, heart rate, fasting plasma glucose, plasma lipids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leptin did not differ among various age classes in men, while pre-menopausal women displayed significantly lower serum leptin than post-menopausal women (-6.7 ± 2.2 pg/ml, p=0.036). Post-menopausal women had significantly greater serum leptin when compared with age-matched men (+13.1 ± 2.0 pg/ml, p<0.001); the same was observed for elderly women when compared with elderly men (+11.2 ± 2.3 pg/ml, p<0.001). At any age, women had significantly lower serum testosterone/estrone ratio than age-matched men (p<0.01). Serum DHEAS was inversely proportional to age in both genders. The main predictors of adiponectin level are age in men (p=0.027) and BMI in women (p=0.003). The main predictors of leptin level are BMI and the testosterone/estrone ratio in both sexes (p<0.05). The testosterone/estrone ratio is also the main predictor of ghrelin levels in women (p=0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sex hormones and adipokines show specific interactions in the two genders and in different age-classes in a representative sample of adult healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Aging and Kidney Disease Department, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy. afgcicero@cardionet.it
authors.forename: A F G
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cicero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lentini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruscica
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dozio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Strollo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borghi
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D020738:Leptin