DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE-SULFATE, BODY-FAT DISTRIBUTION AND INSULIN IN OBESE MEN

Sex steroid hormones may be involved in determining body fat distribut ion in men, Recent evidence suggests that insulin may be an important regulator of sex hormones metabolism in men, Few data, however, are av ailable on the relationship of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S O4), a major secretory product of the adrenal gland, to regional distr ibution of body fat or to insulin levels in men, We therefore examined the association of DHEA-SO4, total testosterone and free testosterone to waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and to subscapular-to-triceps ratio (STR) in 34 obese, otherwise healthy men, In addition, we examined the rela tion between these sex steroid hormones and insulin response to an ora l glucose tolerance test, DHEA-SO4 was significantly positively relate d to STR and significantly negatively related to insulin area, These a ssociations remained significant after adjustment for age and obesity, Using multiple linear regression, DHEA-SO4 was independently related to both STR and insulin area, Without claiming any causality in the ob served associations, we conclude that, in obese men, high DHEA-SO4 lev els are related to centralized adiposity, while low DHEA-SO4 levels ar e related to hyperinsulinemia.