RELATIONSHIPS AND INDEPENDENCE OF BODY-COMPOSITION, SEX-HORMONES, FATDISTRIBUTION AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS IN OVERWEIGHT POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

The relationships and independence of body composition, sex hormones, fat distribution and other cardiovascular risk factors were studied in 121 overweight postmenopausal women. Body composition and fat distrib ution were directly measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) ; other parameters were waist-to-hip ratio (WTH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone, androstenedione (A), oestradiol (E2), a nd lipids and lipoproteins; cigarette and alcohol consumption were rec orded. SHBG was correlated with the fat distribution by DXA and WTH (r = -0.35, P < 0.01) and A with the fat mass (r = -0.3, P < 0.01). SHBG had a negative and alcohol and cigarette consumption a positive, inde pendent relationship to a central fat distribution (by DXA and WTH, re spectively) (P < 0.01). SHBG (r = 0.23, P < 0.05), fat distribution (W TH) and A (r= -0.2 to -0.3, P < 0.01) were correlated with high densit y lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). However, only fat distribution (WTH ) and A were independently related to HDL-C (P < 0.05). Fat distributi on (WTH) and SHBG were independently related to triglycerides (P < 0.0 5), whereas fat distribution (by DXA) and E2 were independently associ ated with total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (L DL-C) (P < 0.05).Thus, in overweight postmenopausal women, androgenici ty and cigarette and alcohol consumption were independently positively related to a central fat distribution. Furthermore, atherogenic level s of lipids and lipoproteins were independently related to a central f at distribution, androgenicity and low levels of oestrogens.