MARKERS OF ABDOMINAL ADIPOSE-TISSUE IN WOMEN - RELATIONSHIP TO OVARIAN-FUNCTION

Increased abdominal adipose tissue (AAT) mass, as most reliably measur ed by waist circumference, in pubescent girls positively correlates wi th insulinemia, circulating insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin resi stance, androgenemia, and both plasma luteinizing hormone and estradio l levels. Because insulin resistance and androgen excess regularly acc ompany the ovarian changes seen in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), w e propose that evaluated AAT mass in adolescent girls, acting through an increase in insulin resistance, might make them more prone to the d evelopment of full-blown PCOS.