Interaction between sex hormone levels and body dimensions in postmenopausal women.

I investigated in a sample of 171 postmenopausal women from Vienna the association patterns between 21 absolute body measures, 3 anthropometric factors, and 14 anthropometric indexes, and the serum levels of estradiol, the gonadotropins LH and FSH, the gestagens progesterone and 17-OHP, prolactin, the androgens testosterone, DHEAS, and androstenedione, and the transport protein sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Statistically significant correlations could be observed between LH, FSH, estradiol, DHEAS, and SHBG and 16 absolute body measures, the 3 anthropometric factors, and all anthropometric indexes. Above all, the gonadotropins LH and FSH correlated significantly negatively with the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue, and positive correlations were found between estradiol level and amount of adipose tissue. This last correlation might be due to the aromatization activity of human adipose tissue, which acts as a secondary hormonal gland after menopause. The androgens testosterone and androstenedione, the gestagens, and prolactin showed no statistically significant correlations with the anthropometric variables. Several statistically significant relations between DHEAS and SHBG and the anthropometric variables could be observed.