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Horm Metab Res 2003; 35(6): 362-366
DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-41358
Original Clinical
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Sex Difference in the Effect of Obesity on 24-Hour Mean Serum Gonadotropin Levels

G.  W.  Strain 1 , B.  Zumoff 2 , L.  K.  Miller 1 , W.  Rosner 3
  • 1 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, USA
  • 2 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, USA
  • 3 Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Medical Center, New York, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received 16 July 2002

Accepted after Revision 22 January 2003

Publication Date:
15 August 2003 (online)

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Abstract

To determine the effect of obesity on serum gonadotropin levels and any possible sex difference in the effect, we measured the 24-hour mean serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations in 62 healthy men with Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 20 - 94 and 61 healthy, regularly cycling women with BMIs ranging from 19 - 76. We also measured free testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) in these subjects. There was a significant negative correlation between serum FSH and BMI in men: FSH(IU/L) = 49.9 × BMI-0.567; r = - 0.376, p = 0.0026; but a significant positive correlation between serum FSH and BMI in women: FSH(IU/L) =7.66 ± 0.071 × BMI; r = 0.302, p = 0.018. Serum LH was weight-invariant in both sexes. In men, free T was negatively correlated with BMI: Free T (nmol/L) = 0.74 - 0.0068 × BMI; r = 0.585, p = 0.0381; and free E2 was positively correlated with BMI: Free E2 (pmol/L) = - 1.03 ± 0.057 × BMI; r = 0.50, p = 0.0014. In obese women as a group, free T was higher than in lean women (33 ± 6.8 S.E.M. vs. 17.4 ± 2.0 pmol/L; p < 0.0001), and free E2 was also higher than in lean women: (6.90 ± 0.80 vs. 4.84 ± 0.55 pmol/L; p = 0.046). Of the many cases of hypothalamic-pituitary hormonal dysregulation that have been reported in obesity, none has been studied for sex differences. Our results mandate that possible sex differences be investigated in all cases of dysregulation.

Key words

FSH - LH

References

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Barnett Zumoff, M. D.

Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism · Beth Israel Medical Center

New York · USA

Fax: + 1 (212) 420-2224

Email: bzumoff@bethisraelny.org

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