Inhibitory effect of obesity on gonadotropin, estradiol, and inhibin B levels in fertile women

Evaluation of the urinary microbiota of women with uncomplicated stress urinary incontinence

BACKGROUND

Female urinary microbiota are associated with urgency urinary incontinence and response to medication. The urinary microbiota of women with stress urinary incontinence has not been described.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to study the cross-sectional relationships between urinary microbiota features and demographic and clinical characteristics of women undergoing stress urinary incontinence surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Preoperative urine specimens were collected from women without urinary tract infection and were available from 197 women (174 voided, 23 catheterized) enrolled in a multicenter prospective randomized trial, the Value of Urodynamic Evaluation study. Demographic and clinical variables were obtained including stress and urgency urinary incontinence symptoms, menopausal status, and hormone use. The bacterial composition of the urine was qualitatively assessed by sequencing the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Phylogenetic relatedness and microbial alpha diversity were compared to demographics and symptoms using generalized estimating equation models.

RESULTS

The majority of 197 urine samples (86%) had detectable bacterial DNA. Bacterial diversity was significantly associated with higher body mass index (P = .02); increased Medical, Epidemiologic, and Social Aspects of Aging urge index score (P = .04); and hormonal status (P < .001). No associations were detected with stress urinary incontinence symptoms. Increased diversity was also associated with a concomitant lower frequency of Lactobacillus in hormone-negative women.

CONCLUSION

Women undergoing stress urinary incontinence surgery have detectable urinary microbiota. This cross-sectional analysis revealed that increased diversity of the microbiota was associated with urgency urinary incontinence symptoms, hormonal status, and body mass index. In contrast, the female urinary microbiota were not associated with stress urinary incontinence symptoms.

Bone Mineral Density in Adolescent Girls with Hypogonadotropic and Hypergonadotropic Hypogonadism

OBJECTIVE

Deficiency of sex steroids has a negative impact on bone mineral content. In studies conducted on postmenopausal women and animal studies, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were found to be correlated with a decrease in bone mineralization and osteoporosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescent girls with hypogonadotropic and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and also to investigate the correlation between FSH level and BMD.

METHODS

The study group included 33 adolescent girls with hypogonadism (14 with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and 19 with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism). FSH, luteinizing hormone, estradiol levels, and BMD (using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) were measured.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences between the chronological age and bone age of the two patient groups, namely, with hypogonadotropic and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. There was also no significant difference between BMD z-score values obtained from measurements from the spine and the femur neck of patients in the two groups (p-values were 0.841 and 0.281, respectively). In the hypergonadotropic group, a moderately negative correlation was detected between FSH level and BMD z-score measured from the femur neck (ρ=-0.69, p=0.001), whilst no correlation was observed between FSH levels and height adjusted BMD-z scores measured from the spine (ρ=0.17, p=0.493). FSH level was not found to be an independent variable affecting BMD z-score.

CONCLUSION

BMD z-scores were detected to be similar in adolescent girls with hypogonadotropic and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, and FSH levels were not found to have a clinically relevant impact on BMD.

Diabetes and Menopause

During menopause, women's body composition, sex hormone profile, and metabolic profile may change dramatically. In this review, we summarize studies examining whether the menopausal transition and physiologic factors characterizing the transition are associated with increased risk of diabetes. We review the evidence for estrogen therapy and diabetes risk and studies examining the relationship between diabetes and menarche, which represents an extension of the reproductive life span at the opposite end of the age spectrum. Although studied less extensively, the presence of type 1 or type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of ovarian failure, and we review this literature. In conclusion, we note that the evidence linking menopausal sex hormone changes with increased diabetes risk is weak, although rapid changes as observed with oophorectomy may increase risk. Further studies should investigate the contradictory effects of estrogen therapy upon hepatic and glucose metabolism in mid-life women.

Follicle-stimulating hormone associates with prediabetes and diabetes in postmenopausal women

AIMS

No study explores the association between follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and glucose metabolism in general women. We aim to investigate whether the variation of FSH is associated with prediabetes and diabetes in postmenopausal women.

METHODS

Our data were from survey on prevalence in East China for metabolic diseases and risk factors in 2014. Thousand six hundred and ten postmenopausal women at the age of 55-89 who were not using hormone replacement therapy were selected. Prediabetes and diabetes were defined according to American Diabetes Association 2014 criteria. FSH, luteinizing hormone, total testosterone and estradiol were measured by chemiluminescence. Multinomial logistic analyses were used for the association of FSH with prediabetes and diabetes, and linear regression for the association of FSH with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c.

RESULTS

Among the participants, 778 (48.3 %) had prediabetes and 121 (7.5 %) had newly diagnosed diabetes. In linear regression, after full adjustment for demographic variables, metabolic factors, E2 and LH, FSH was associated with FPG and HbA1c (P < 0.05). In logistic regression, increased quartiles of FSH were associated with significantly decreased odds ratios of prediabetes and diabetes (P for trend <0.01). This association was attenuated by waist circumference and HOMA-IR, but persisted in fully adjusted model (P for trend <0.05) in which, for the lowest compared with the highest quartile of FSH, the odds ratios of prediabetes and diabetes were 1.93 (95 % CI 1.21-3.08; P < 0.01) and 3.02 (95 % CI 1.10-8.31; P < 0.05), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Low FSH was associated with prediabetes and diabetes in postmenopausal women. The associations might be partially explained by adiposity and insulin resistance.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Body Mass Index Effect on in Vitro Fertilization Outcomes

The effect of a raised body mass index (BMI) on the outcome of assisted reproduction technology (ART) still represents a controversial issue. Even less clear is whether BMI acts with a potential detrimental effect on IVF outcomes via a deleterious effect on innate quality of oocytes or on the environmental milieu within the uterus. With the aim to better understand the mechanisms underlying the potential deleterious effect of an increased BMI on IVF outcomes, we have evaluated the effects of female BMI on number and quality of retrieved oocytes, fertilization rate, embryo score and incidences of ongoing pregnancy and live births among couples undergoing IVF in an Italian population. Data from 1602 women who underwent their first IVF cycle were retrospectively analyzed. A significantly reduced percentage of mature oocytes when comparing obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and normal-weight patients (BMI = 18.50–24.99 kg/m²) was found. After adjusting for maternal age and other confounders, odds for ongoing pregnancy rate showed no differences across different BMI categories. However, a significant increased odds ratio (OR) could be observed for miscarriage rate in patients with BMI ≥ 25 (OR = 2.5; p = 0.04). These results should be taken into account in order to define optimal strategies for overweight and obese patients referring to ART procedures.

Estradiol Priming Improves Gonadotrope Sensitivity and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Obese Women

CONTEXT

Obesity is associated with a pro-inflammatory state and relative hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Estrogen (E2) is a potential link between these phenomena because it exhibits negative feedback on gonadotropin secretion and also inhibits production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to examine the effect of estrogen priming on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis in obesity.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This was an interventional study at an academic center of 11 obese and 10 normal-weight (NW) women.

INTERVENTION

A frequent blood-sampling study and one month of daily urinary collection were performed before and after administration of transdermal estradiol 0.1 mg/d for one entire menstrual cycle.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Serum LH and FSH before and after GnRH stimulation, and urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolites were measured.

RESULTS

E2 increased LH pulse amplitude and FSH response to GnRH (P = .048, and P < .03, respectively) in obese but not NW women. After E2 priming, ovulatory obese but not NW women had a 25% increase in luteal progesterone (P = .01). Obese women had significantly higher baseline IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β, and IL-12 compared with NW (all P < .05); these levels were reduced after E2 (-6% for IL-1β, -21% for IL-8, -5% for TGF-β, -5% for IL-12; all P < .05) in obese but not in NW women.

CONCLUSIONS

E2 priming seems to improve hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis function and systemic inflammation in ovulatory, obese women. Reducing chronic inflammation at the pituitary level may decrease the burden of obesity on fertility.

Effects of female increased body mass index on in vitro fertilization cycles outcome

BACKGROUND

As being overweight can impair female spontaneous fertility or after assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles, the aim of this study was to compare in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome according to women's body mass index (BMI).

METHODS

Retrospective study conducted from 2006 to 2009 in the IVF unit of Nantes University Hospital, France. 582 patients undergoing standard infertility workup and controlled ovarian stimulation were categorized according to BMI into two groups: group 1: normal weight (20-24.9 kg/m(2); n=409) and group 2: overweight and obese (≥25 kg/m(2); n=149). Basal hormonal status, smoking habitus, infertility duration, IVF cycle parameters and outcome were recorded.

RESULTS

Basal LH, FSH and estradiol levels were higher in group 1 than group 2, but ovarian reserve markers were comparable across the two BMI groups. Higher doses of gonadotropins were required in group 2 to obtain equivalent ovarian response than in group 1. No difference was observed on ovarian response and embryonic parameters. Cycle outcome were not significantly different between both groups, but we found a strong trend towards increasing transfer cancellation and miscarriage rates in group 2.

CONCLUSION

Although overweight and obesity do not compromise ovarian stimulation results whenever adaptation of recombinant FSH doses is made, our data suggest an increased risk of cancellation transfer and miscarriage rate, leading to poorer IVF outcome.

In utero exposure to cigarette smoking, environmental tobacco smoke and reproductive hormones in US girls approaching puberty

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Evidence is unclear whether prenatal smoking affects age at menarche and pubertal development, and its impact upon hormones has not been well studied. We aim to identify potential pathways through which prenatal smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) affect reproductive hormones in girls approaching puberty.

METHODS

We examined the association between prenatal smoking, current ETS and luteinizing hormone (LH) and inhibin B (InB) in 6- to 11-year-old girls in the 3rd National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Parents/guardians completed interviewer-assisted questionnaires on health and demographics at the time of physical examination. Residual blood samples were analyzed for reproductive hormones in 2008.

RESULTS

Of 660 girls, 19 and 39% were exposed to prenatal smoke and current ETS, respectively. Accounting for multiple pathways in structural equation models, prenatally exposed girls had significantly lower LH (β = -0.205 log-mIU/ml, p < 0.0001) and InB (β = -0.162, log-pg/ml, p < 0.0001). Prenatal smoking also influenced LH positively and InB negatively indirectly through BMI-for-age. ETS was positively associated with LH, but not with InB.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to maternal smoking may disrupt reproductive development manifesting in altered hormone levels near puberty.

Weight loss increases follicle stimulating hormone in overweight postmenopausal women [corrected]

OBJECTIVES

To examine the impact of a weight loss intervention upon follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in postmenopause.

METHODS

Participants were postmenopausal, overweight, glucose-intolerant women not using exogenous estrogen (n = 382) in the Diabetes Prevention Program. Women were randomized to intensive lifestyle change (ILS) with the goals of weight reduction of at least 7% of initial weight and 150 min per week of moderate-intensity exercise, metformin 850 mg twice a day, or placebo administered twice a day.

RESULTS

Randomization to ILS led to small increases in FSH between baseline and 1-year follow-up vs. placebo (2.3 IU/l vs. -0.81 IU/l, P < 0.01). Increases in FSH were correlated with decreases in weight (r = -0.165, P < 0.01) and estradiol (E2) (r = -0.464, P < 0.0001) after adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, and randomization arm. Changes in FSH were still significantly associated with changes in weight even after adjustment for E2 levels. Metformin users had reductions in weight but non-significant changes in FSH and E2 levels vs. placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

Weight loss leads to small increases in FSH among overweight, postmenopausal women, potentially through pathways mediated by endogenous estrogen as well as other pathways.

Age at hormonal onset of puberty based on luteinizing hormone, inhibin B, and body composition in preadolescent U.S. girls

BACKGROUND

Hormonal indicators could be useful for detecting early pubertal onset, but there is little research on how they are related to puberty in U.S. girls. We determined median age at hormonal onset of puberty based on luteinizing hormone (LH) and inhibin B (InB) and explored the extent to which body composition moderates this timing process.

METHODS

We analyzed anthropometric and hormone data of 698 US peri-pubertal girls ages 6-11.99 y who had participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988-1994.

RESULTS

Median age of hormonal onset of puberty was 10.43 y by LH and 10.08 y by InB cut-offs (1.04 mIU/ml for LH and 17.89 pg/ml for InB). Postnatal weight gain modulated onset, making it earlier by 10-11 mo among the highest (greater than +1 SD) relative to normal weight gainers. Onset occurred first in non-Hispanic black (NHB) girls, 10.08 y (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.07-10.09), followed by Mexican-American (MXAM) at 10.64 y (95% CI: 10.63-10.65), and at 10.66 y (95% CI: 10.66-10.67) for non-Hispanic white (NHW) girls using LH. With InB, onset occurred first in MXAM girls at 9.9 y, and at 10.3 y and 10.4 y for their NHB and NHW peers, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Preadolescent weight gain lowers the age at hormonal onset as defined by LH concentrations. Preventing obesity in childhood may also avert the earlier initiation of the maturation process even at the hormonal level.

Obesity and menstrual disorders

Obese women often present with oligomenorrhoea, amenorrhoea or irregular periods. The association between obesity and heavy menstrual bleeding is not well documented and data on its prevalence are limited. While the investigation protocols should be the same as for women of normal weight, particular focus is required to rule out endometrial hyperplasia in obese women. The treatment modalities of menstrual disorders for obese women will be, in principle, similar to those of normal weight. However, therapeutic outcomes in terms of effectiveness and adverse outcomes need special consideration when dealing with women with a high body mass index (BMI). Here, different treatment strategies are reviewed paying particular attention to the effect of weight on their efficacy and the challenges of providing each treatment option. This chapter aims to review the current literature and address areas where further evidence is needed, which will subsequently influence clinical practice.

Association of FSH with metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women: a comparison with CRP, adiponectin and leptin

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) determination in the postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a comparative analysis with biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, leptin and leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (L/A). Material & methods: 135 postmenopausal women with MetS and 153 without MetS were subjected to examinations. Results: The increase in the probability of MetS, when the value of the marker concentration decreased or increased by 1 standard deviation, was two times higher for FSH-based models than for models including CRP and leptin, and was similar to models including adiponectin and L/A. The areas under the ROC curves were 0.78 for FSH, 0.68 for CRP, 0.72 for leptin, 0.76 for adiponectin and 0.80 for L/A. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the FSH concentration assesses the probability of MetS similarly to L/A or adiponectin and better than CRP or leptin in postmenopausal women.

The complex interaction between obesity, metabolic syndrome and reproductive axis: a narrative review

The aim of this narrative review is to provide current evidence for the interaction between obesity, metabolic syndrome (MS) and reproductive axis. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulses and, consequently, normal function of reproductive (hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal) axis depend on normal energy balance, which presupposes sufficient food intake, reasonable energy consumption and average thermoregulatory costs. In case of an energy imbalance, reproductive dysfunction may occur. In young women, excessive leanness is accompanied by puberty delay, whereas premature puberty might be a manifestation of obesity. In a similar way, obesity in men affects fertility. Excess adipose tissue results in increased conversion of testosterone to estradiol, which may lead to secondary hypogonadism through reproductive axis suppression. Moreover, oxidative stress at the level of the testicular micro-environment may result in decreased spermatogenesis and sperm damage. Products of the adipocyte, such as leptin, adiponectin and resistin, and gut peptides, such as ghrelin, are considered to be crucial in the interaction between energy balance and reproduction. Finally, an indirect evidence for the interplay between MS and reproductive axis is the fact that when treating components of one, parameters of the other can be improved as well. These therapeutic interventions include lifestyle modifications, pharmacological agents, such as sex hormone replacement therapy, and surgical procedures. Although many issues remain unclear, the elucidation of the complex interaction between MS and reproductive axis will have obvious clinical implications in the therapeutic approach of both entities.

Association of obesity with hormonal imbalance in infertility: a cross-sectional study in north Indian women

Hormones play an important role in the development and regulation of reproductive function and the menstrual cycle of women. Extremes of body weight tend to affect the homeostasis of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. This cross-sectional study was carried out in 113 women (57 with primary infertility and 56 with secondary infertility) in the age group 20-35 years, presenting for hormonal evaluation of infertility in a tertiary care hospital. After preliminary clinical evaluation, anthropometric indices (height, weight, BMI, waist circumference and waist hip ratio) were measured in all subjects. Fasting blood sample drawn on second/third day of menstrual cycle was analysed for serum luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Serum FSH levels showed a significant positive correlation with indicators of central obesity (waist circumference and waist hip ratio in both the study groups). In primary infertility, significant positive correlation was also observed between serum FSH levels and other markers of obesity like body weight, hip circumference and BMI. In secondary infertility, serum prolactin and serum TSH levels demonstrated a significant positive correlation with body weight and BMI. Obesity is associated with hormonal derangements which are responsible for infertility. In overweight women with infertility, weight loss should be considered as a first line treatment.

Assessment of luteal function in the vervet monkey as a means to develop a model for obesity-related reproductive phenotype

The objective of the current study was to characterize luteal function in vervet monkeys. Urine from 12 adult female vervets housed at an academic research center was collected for 10 weeks from single-caged monkeys in order to assess evidence of luteal activity (ELA) as determined by urinary excretion of pregnanediol glucuronide (Pdg) and estrone conjugates (E1c). Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed on the monkeys to assess body composition, bone density, and fat mass. Menstrual cyclicity was determined using records of vaginal bleeding. ELA was observed in 9 monkeys and was characterized by a late follicular rise in E1c followed by a progressive increase in Pdg excretion. Mean menstrual cycle length was 26.7 ± 3.8 days and the average day of luteal transition was 14 ± 1.8. Three monkeys without ELA had a clearly defined E1c rise (mean 12-fold from nadir) followed by an E1c drop that was not accompanied by Pdg rise and coincided with vaginal bleeding. Among the 9 ELA monkeys, excretion of E1c tended to negatively associate with fat mass, although this finding did not reach statistical significance (r = -0.61, p = 0.08). Similar to women, vervet monkeys experience an increase in E1c late in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle which is followed by a subsequent luteal Pdg peak. Assessment of urinary reproductive hormones allows for identification of cardinal menstrual cycle events; thus, the similarity of vervet cycles to human menstrual cycles makes them a useful model for obesity-related human reproductive impairment.

Ovarian function and reproductive hormone levels in girls with Prader-Willi syndrome: a longitudinal study

CONTEXT

The etiology of hypogonadism in girls with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to evaluate gonadal function longitudinally in girls and female adolescents with PWS.

MEASUREMENTS

We performed a longitudinal assessment of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), gonadotropins, estradiol (E(2)), inhibin B and A, and pubertal development in girls and female adolescents with PWS.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixty-one girls participating in the Dutch PWS Cohort study participated in the study. Serum AMH, gonadotropins, E(2), and inhibin B and A levels were compared with reference values.

RESULTS

AMH levels in girls and female adolescents with PWS were comparable to reference levels between 6 months and 22 yr of age. From 10 yr of age, FSH and LH levels increased to above the 5th percentile compared to reference levels. E(2) and inhibin B levels were in the low normal range in the majority, and inhibin A levels were low but detectable in almost half the female adolescents with PWS. The median age at puberty onset was comparable, but the median ages at attaining Tanner M3 (P = 0.05) and M4 (P < 0.0001) were significantly higher in girls with PWS than in healthy references.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that the primordial follicle pool and number of small antral follicles are conserved in girls and female adolescents with PWS. We found no classical hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. However, maturation of follicles and progression of pubertal development are impaired, which might be due to dysregulation of LH secretion. Because these impairments are not absolute, ovulation and thus conception cannot be ruled out in individual female adolescents with PWS.

Trajectory clustering of estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone during the menopausal transition among women in the Study of Women's Health across the Nation (SWAN)

CONTEXT

Variability in the pattern of change in estradiol (E2) and FSH levels over the menopause transition has not been well defined.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to determine whether different trajectories of E2 and FSH could be identified and whether race/ethnicity and body mass index were related to the different trajectories.

DESIGN

The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation is a longitudinal observational study of the menopausal transition.

SETTING

Women aged 42-52 yr from seven participating sites were recruited and underwent up to 11 annual visits.

PARTICIPANTS

Postmenopausal women with 12 or more months of amenorrhea that was not due to hysterectomy/oophorectomy and who were not using hormone therapy before the final menstrual period participated in the study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Annual serum E2 and FSH levels anchored to final menstrual period were measured.

RESULTS

Four distinct E2 trajectories and three distinct FSH trajectories were identified. The E2 trajectories were: slow decline (26.9%), flat (28.6%), rise/slow decline (13.1%), and rise/steep decline (31.5%). The FSH trajectories were: low (10.6%), medium (48.7%), and high (41.7%) rising patterns. Obesity increased the likelihood of a flat E2 and low FSH trajectory for all race/ethnic groups. Normal-weight Caucasian and African-American women tended to follow the rise/steep decline E2 and high FSH trajectories. Normal-weight Chinese/Japanese women tended to follow the slow decline E2 and the high/medium FSH trajectories.

CONCLUSIONS

E2 and FSH trajectories over the menopausal transition are not uniform across the population of women. Race/ethnicity and body mass index affect the trajectory of both E2 and FSH change over the menopausal transition.

Follicle-stimulating hormone is independently associated with lean mass but not BMD in younger postmenopausal women

PURPOSE

Increased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) has been associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) in animal models and longitudinal studies of women, but a direct effect has not been demonstrated.

METHODS

We tested associations between FSH, non-bone body composition measures and BMD in 94 younger (aged 50 to 64 years) postmenopausal women without current use of hormone therapy, adjusting for sex hormone concentrations and clinical risk factors for osteoporosis. Lean mass, fat mass and areal BMD (aBMD) at the spine, femoral neck and total hip were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Volumetric BMD (vBMD) was measured at the distal radius using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT).

RESULTS

FSH was inversely correlated with lean and fat mass, bioavailable estradiol, spine and hip aBMD, and vBMD at the ultradistal radius. In the multivariable analysis, FSH was independently associated with lean mass (β=-0.099, p=0.005) after adjustment for age, race, years since menopause, bioavailable estradiol, bioavailable testosterone, LH, PTH, SHBG and urine N-telopeptide. FSH showed no statistically significant association with aBMD at any site or pQCT measures at the distal radius in adjusted models. Race was independently associated with aBMD, and race and urine N-telopeptide were independently associated with bone area and vBMD.

CONCLUSIONS

After adjustment for hormonal measures and osteoporosis risk factors, higher concentrations of FSH were independently associated with lower lean mass, but not with BMD. Previously reported correlations between FSH and BMD might have been due to indirect associations via lean mass or weight.

Menstrual irregularity: a possible clinical marker of metabolic dysfunction in women with class III obesity

PURPOSE

To evaluate whether menstrual irregularity in morbidly obese women is indicative of metabolic dysfunction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-seven women with morbid obesity were evaluated. They were divided into two groups: one comprising women without menstrual dysfunctions or hirsutism (Group 1), and another obese women showing menstrual dysfunction with or without hirsutism (Group 2). The following were evaluated: age, colour, childbirth, marital status, profession, socio-economic level, education, age at menarche, body weight, height, body mass index, presence of hirsutism (Ferriman Gallwey Index), abdominal circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, menstrual cycle, blood pressure, presence of acanthosis nigricans, insulin resistance (IR), fasting glycaemia, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, thyroid-stimulating hormone, free T4, luteinising hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, insulin and the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA test).

RESULTS

Clinical and epidemiological aspects did not present statistical differences. Clinical and laboratory parameters did not show statistically significant alterations; however, HOMA test values for Group 2 were significantly higher than those for Group 1.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of IR in class III obese women can cause menstrual dysfunctions such as amenorrhoea or oligomenorrhoea even in the absence of hyperandrogenism, suggesting that IR plays an important role in the ovarian mechanisms involved in the menstrual cycle control.

Obesity and reproductive hormone levels in the transition to menopause

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to estimate associations of obesity with reproductive hormone levels as women progress from premenopausal to postmenopausal status.

METHODS

This was a longitudinal study conducted in the population-based Penn Ovarian Aging Cohort (N = 436). At cohort enrollment, the women were premenopausal, ages 35 to 47 years, with equal numbers of African Americans and whites. Anthropometric measures, menopause status, and reproductive hormone measures were evaluated for 12 years. Associations of the anthropometric measures with estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, and inhibin B in the menopausal transition were estimated using generalized linear regression models for repeated measures.

RESULTS

Associations between obesity and hormone levels differed by menopause status as indicated by significant interactions between each hormone and menopausal stage. Premenopausal obese and overweight women had significantly lower estradiol levels compared with nonobese women, independent of age, race, and smoking (obese: 32.8 pg/mL [95% CI, 30.6-35.2] vs nonobese: 39.8 pg/mL [95% CI, 37.0-42.8], P < 0.001). The associations reversed postmenopause, with obese women having the highest estradiol levels (obese: 20.6 pg/mL [95% CI, 17.2-24.7] vs nonobese: 12.2 pg/mL [95% CI, 10.1-14.8], P < 0.001). Inhibin B levels were significantly lower in premenopausal obese compared with nonobese women but reversed in the late transition stage. Follicle-stimulating hormone levels were lowest in postmenopausal obese compared with nonobese women (P < 0.001). Measures of waist circumference (central adiposity) and waist-to-hip ratio paralleled the body mass index results.

CONCLUSION

Obesity is an important factor in hormone dynamics independent of age, race, and smoking in midlife women, although the mechanisms remain unclear.

Serum anti-mullerian hormone concentrations are elevated in oligomenorrheic girls without evidence of hyperandrogenism

CONTEXT

Serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels are significantly elevated in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared to normal controls. Whether adolescents with oligomenorrhea have elevated AMH levels is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to assess serum AMH levels in oligomenorrheic (OLIGO) girls without evidence of hyperandrogenism.

DESIGN

This was a prospective study comparing AMH levels in OLIGO, PCOS, and normal control adolescents.

SETTING

The study was conducted through four tertiary academic medical centers.

PARTICIPANTS

The study groups were comprised of OLIGO (n = 24), PCOS (n = 153), and normal adolescent girls (n = 39), as well as PCOS (n = 73) and normal adult women (n = 36).

INTERVENTIONS

In each subject, serum AMH levels were assessed in the early to midfollicular phases for regularly menstruating subjects and on an arbitrary day for OLIGO or PCOS subjects.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Basal serum AMH levels were assessed among OLIGO, PCOS, and normal girls, in addition to PCOS and normal women.

RESULTS

OLIGO girls had serum AMH levels (5.33 +/- 0.47 ng/ml) that were significantly greater than the normal adolescents (3.05 +/- 0.31 ng/ml) and adults (2.33 +/- 0.22 ng/ml), but similar to values seen in the PCOS adolescents (5.28 +/- 0.26 ng/ml) and adults (6.36 +/- 0.47 ng/ml). Obese adolescents and PCOS women had significantly lower AMH levels compared to lean controls (P < 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In OLIGO adolescents, elevated serum AMH levels suggest increased antral follicle number similar to that observed in girls with PCOS.

Abdominal fat accumulation, and not insulin resistance, is associated to oligomenorrhea in non-hyperandrogenic overweight/obese women

BACKGROUND

There is a very high prevalence of obese women in the infertile population and many studies have highlighted the link between obesity and infertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of oligomenorrhea in uncomplicated obesity, and to examine whether this menstrual alteration is associated with anthropometric, hormonal, and metabolic parameters.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of 266 overweight and obese body mass index (BMI) > or =25.0 kg x m(-2)] women, all having apparent normal fertility. Measurements included BMI, central fat accumulation (evaluated by waist circumference), blood pressure levels, and fasting insulin, glucose, and lipid (triglycerides, total and HDL-cholesterol) serum concentrations, and insulin resistance [estimated by (homeostasis model assessment) HOMAIR] during the early follicular phase (days 2-5 of the menstrual cycle).

RESULTS

One hundred and seventy-one (64.3%) of 266 women had normal menstrual cycles, 57 (21.4%) had oligomenorrhea, and 38 (14.3%) had hypermenorrhea and/or polimenorrhea. Women with oligomenorrhea had higher waist circumference, BMI, HOMAIR, and insulin levels than women with normal menstrual cycles. When association among oligomenorrhea and other variables (waist circumference, BMI, insulin and HOMAIR) was evaluated by logistic regression, and odds ratio was calculated per unit of SD increase, only waist circumference maintained a significant relationship with oligomenorrhea.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that more than 20% of women with simple obesity have oligomenorrhea, and suggests that central fat accumulation seems to have a possible direct role in this menstrual alteration, independently of hyperinsulinemia and/or insulin resistance.

Impact of male obesity on infertility: a critical review of the current literature

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the current understanding of the effects and potential mechanisms of obesity on male fertility.

DESIGN

Literature review of articles pertaining to obesity and male infertility.

RESULT(S)

Recent population-based studies suggest an elevated risk for subfertility among couples in which the male partner is obese and an increased likelihood of abnormal semen parameters among heavier men. Male factor infertility is associated with a higher incidence of obesity in the male partner. Obese men exhibit reduced androgen and SHBG levels accompanied by elevated estrogen levels. Reduced inhibin B levels correlate with degree of obesity and are not accompanied by compensatory increases in FSH. This complexly altered reproductive hormonal profile suggests that endocrine dysregulation in obese men may explain the increased risk of altered semen parameters and infertility. Additional features of male obesity that may contribute to an increased risk for infertility are altered retention and metabolism of environmental toxins, altered lifestyle factors, and increased risks for sexual dysfunction. Neither reversibility of obesity-associated male infertility with weight loss nor effective therapeutic interventions have been studied yet.

CONCLUSION(S)

The increasing prevalence of obesity calls for greater clinician awareness of its effects on fertility, better understanding of underlying mechanisms, and eventually avenues for mitigation or treatment.

Declining ovarian reserve adversely influences granulosa cell viability

OBJECTIVE

To identify if declining ovarian reserve adversely influences granulosa cell (GC) parameters in patients undergoing IVF.

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

Academic IVF Center.

PATIENT(S)

Twenty-four women undergoing IVF.

INTERVENTION(S)

Mural and cumulus GCs were harvested (at time of egg retrieval).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Influence of ovarian reserve, reflected by maximal basal FSH levels, on GC (cumulative, mural, and cumulus) counts and viability were investigated.

RESULT(S)

The FSH levels demonstrated an inverse correlation with cumulative and mural, but not cumulus, GC viability. Adverse influence of increasing FSH on cumulative GC viability was independent of patient's age. The GC counts were uninfluenced by ovarian reserve status. Neither GC count nor viability demonstrated any relationship with clinical pregnancy after IVF.

CONCLUSION(S)

We observed an adverse association between declining ovarian reserve and GC parameters. We believe these findings may partly explain the suboptimal reproductive performance in these women.