BODY-FAT DISTRIBUTION, PERIPHERAL INDICATORS OF ANDROGENIC ACTIVITY, AND BLOOD-PRESSURE IN WOMEN

This report analyzes the association between blood pressure and three indicators of peripheral androgenic activity (PIAAs): body fat distrib ution, hirsutism, and sebum production. Furthermore, it analyzes the a ssociations among these PIAAs to understand whether they are indicator s of the same androgenic pattern. The study was conducted among 314 he althy women, aged 35-69 years, participating in the baseline examinati on of the Study of Hormones and Diet in the Etiology of Breast Cancer (ORDET), an Italian cohort study of breast cancer. Body fat distributi on was measured as the ratio of waist-to-hip circumference (waist-to-h ip ratio). Three hirsutism scores were developed by use of factor anal ysis after nine areas of androgen-sensitive, pilo-sebaceum units of th e body were examined. Sebum production was measured by a sebumeter. Re sults indicated a positive correlation between the waist-to-hip ratio and the lip hirsutism score (r = 0.157). Conversely, sebum production correlated negatively with both the lip hirsutism score (r = -0.154) a nd the waist-to-hip ratio (r = -0.153). By use of multiple regression and with adjustment for age and body mass index, the waist-to-hip rati o was found to be positively and significantly related to both diastol ic and systolic blood pressure, whereas sebum production was inversely and significantly related to both diastolic and systolic blood pressu re. The facial hirsutism score was positively related to systolic bloo d pressure, while the limb hirsutism. score was inversely and signific antly related to diastolic blood pressure. Finally, interrelationships among these markers of androgenic activity were found to be weak, sug gesting that these markers may be under the influence of local metabol ism of the androgenic steroids. Further hormonal analyses are needed t o determine whether PIAA measures obtained in epidemiological settings are useful in study of androgenic patterns and blood pressure.