Longitudinal associations of the endocrine environment on fat partitioning in postmenopausal women
Open accessAbstract
Among postmenopausal women, declining estrogen may facilitate fat partitioning from the periphery to the intra‐abdominal space. Furthermore, it has been suggested that excess androgens contribute to a central fat distribution pattern in women. The objective of this longitudinal study was to identify independent associations of the hormone milieu with fat distribution in postmenopausal women. Fifty‐three healthy postmenopausal women, either using or not using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were evaluated at baseline and 2 years. The main outcomes were intra‐abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT), subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue, and total thigh fat analyzed by computed tomography scanning and leg fat and total body fat mass measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Serum estradiol, estrone, estrone sulfate, total testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG), and cortisol were assessed. On average, in all women combined, IAAT increased by 10% (10.5 cm 2) over 2 years (P < 0.05). Among HRT users, estradiol was inversely associated with, and estrone was positively associated with, 2‐year gain in IAAT. Among HRT nonusers, free testosterone was inversely associated with, and SHBG was positively associated with, 2‐year gain in IAAT. These results suggest that in postmenopausal women using HRT, greater circulating estradiol may play an integral role in limiting lipid deposition to the intra‐abdominal cavity, a depot associated with metabolically detrimental attributes. However, a high proportion of weak estrogens may promote fat partitioning to the intra‐abdominal cavity over time. Furthermore, among postmenopausal women not using HRT, greater circulating free testosterone may limit IAAT accrual.
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Higher baseline SHBG levels may predict greater intra-abdominal adipose tissue gain over time in postmenopausal women.
“higher baseline SHBG levels may predict greater IAAT gain over time”
From Metabolic impact of endogenously produced estrogens by adipose tissue in females and males across the lifespan (2025) · cites this paper as [118]
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- Authors
- Goss, A. M., Darnell, B. E., Brown, M. A., Oster, R. A., & Gower, B. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- Corresponding author
- Goss, Amy M.
- Venue
- Obesity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-05
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 939-944
- ISSN
- 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-739X
- PMC
- PMC3663444
- OpenAlex
- W1987868038
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 1.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum
- National Institutes of Health (5ul1rr025777-04, 5p60dk079626-05)
- National Institute on Aging (K01AG000740, K01AG 00740)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P60-DK-079626, P30-DK56336, P30DK056336)
- National Center for Research Resources (M01RR00032, UL1-RR-025777, M01RR000032)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Estrogen and related hormone effects
- Keywords
- postmenopausal women, fat partitioning, intra-abdominal adipose tissue, subcutaneous abdominal fat, thigh fat, hormone replacement therapy, estradiol, estrone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, cortisol, androgens, estrogen decline, central fat distribution
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Estradiol, Estrone, Female, Humans, Insulin Resistance, Longitudinal Studies, Middle Aged, Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin, Testosterone, Absorptiometry, Photon, Postmenopause, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Intra-Abdominal Fat, Body Fat Distribution
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