HIGH-FREQUENCY FSH AND LH PULSES IN OBESE MENOPAUSAL WOMEN

We studied the pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimula ting hormone (FSH) secretory patterns, at early or intermediate years of menopause in seven normal women with different degrees of obesity, taking blood samples every minute for 40 min to 2 h, The hormones were assayed with an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) system, analyzing with the cluster pulse algorithm. All women showed hormone pulses every 8- 10 min. In five of them were found periods of discrete pulses with osc illations of high amplitude alternating with periods of pulses of low amplitude. In two cases, the high-frequency oscillatory pattern with l ow amplitude was found around low mean levels of 22.8 and 25.7 IU/L, T he LH oscillatory pattern also had a high frequency, but at a lower le vel, giving a high FSH/LH ratio. The coincidence index of FSH with LH peaks was 76.6%. We concluded that at menopause, the frequency of FSH and LH secretion increases with a high FSH/LH ratio. Obese menopausal women may have the same high-frequency oscillatory patterns, but at lo w levels.