title: Longitudinal associations of the endocrine environment on fat partitioning in postmenopausal women.
abstract: Among postmenopausal women, declining estrogen may facilitate fat partitioning from the periphery to the intra-abdominal space. Furthermore, it has been suggested that excess androgens contribute to a central fat distribution pattern in women. The objective of this longitudinal study was to identify independent associations of the hormone milieu with fat distribution in postmenopausal women. Fifty-three healthy postmenopausal women, either using or not using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were evaluated at baseline and 2 years. The main outcomes were intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT), subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue, and total thigh fat analyzed by computed tomography scanning and leg fat and total body fat mass measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum estradiol, estrone, estrone sulfate, total testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and cortisol were assessed. On average, in all women combined, IAAT increased by 10% (10.5 cm(2)) over 2 years (P < 0.05). Among HRT users, estradiol was inversely associated with, and estrone was positively associated with, 2-year gain in IAAT. Among HRT nonusers, free testosterone was inversely associated with, and SHBG was positively associated with, 2-year gain in IAAT. These results suggest that in postmenopausal women using HRT, greater circulating estradiol may play an integral role in limiting lipid deposition to the intra-abdominal cavity, a depot associated with metabolically detrimental attributes. However, a high proportion of weak estrogens may promote fat partitioning to the intra-abdominal cavity over time. Furthermore, among postmenopausal women not using HRT, greater circulating free testosterone may limit IAAT accrual.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. amymiski@uab.edu
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.forename: Betty E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Darnell
authors.forename: Marian A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Oster
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gower
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000375:Aging; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol