OBESITY AND HYPERTESTOSTERONAEMIA ARE INDEPENDENTLY AND SYNERGISTICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATED INSULIN CONCENTRATIONS AND DYSLIPIDEMIA IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

The association of obesity and hypertestosteronaemia with elevated insulin concentration and dydpidaemia was studied in 15 non-obese and 15 obese, hypertestosteronaemic patients; 14 non-obese and 10 obese, normotestosteronaemic subjects served as controls. Data were subjected to multivariate analysis. Enhanced body mass index (BMI kg/m(2)) resulted in a significant elevation of basal insulin (b-Ins), glucose-stimulated (delta) insulin (del-Ins), triglycerides (TG), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and LDL/high density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio, and in a significant reduction of HDL. Furthermore, it was shown that BMI was positively correlated with TG, VLDL, LDL and LDH/HLD ratio, and negatively correlated with HDL in the normotestosteronaemic groups. Hypertestosteronaemia was associated with a significant increase of del-Ins, VLDL and LDL/HDL ratio, and with a significant decrease of HDL concentration. Testosterone was directly associated with del-Ins and LDL/HDL ratio, and inversely related to HDL in the non-obese groups. Summation effects of obesity and hypertestosteronaemia were found for del-Ins and VLDL. The data suggest that obesity and hypertestosteronaemia are independently and jointly associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia, indicating an increased risk for coronary heart disease. The highest risk rate was found in obese hypertestosteronaemic patients. Serum testosterone may be a useful marker in detecting metabolic disorders connected with cardiovascular risk.