Androgenicity in Young Women and Development of Metabolic Syndrome Before Menopause: The CARDIA and CARDIA Women's Studies

Overview

Journal J Endocr Soc

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2024 Jan 12

PMID 38213908

Authors

Thanh-Huyen T Vu

Amber Pirzada

Cora E Lewis

Pamela J Schreiner

Kiang Liu

Barbara Sternfeld

Ronit Calderon-Margalit

Sharon S Merkin

Melissa Wellons

O Dale Williams

Catherine Kim

David S Siscovick

Martha L Daviglus

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Context: There are no reported data from prospective long-term studies on the relation of androgen levels in young women with development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) before menopause.

Objective: We investigated associations of androgens and SHBG with incident MetS during 23 years of follow-up.

Methods: We included 366 White and 375 Black women ages 20 to 32 years participating in the CARDIA study and CARDIA Women's study, free of MetS at baseline examination (1987-1988), and premenopausal 23 years later. Androgens and SHBG were categorized into quartiles. MetS was defined according to the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 2009 Joint Scientific Statement. Cox proportional hazards models were used.

Results: By year 23, 30% of women developed MetS. Adjusting for baseline age, race, and education, hazard ratios (95% CI) of developing MetS were 1.46 (1.02-2.10) and 2.22 (1.53-3.21) for women in the highest vs lowest total testosterone (T) and free T quartile, respectively. The hazards of developing MetS were 47%, 59%, and 53% lower for women with SHBG in the second, third, and fourth quartiles (vs lowest quartile), respectively. Associations were attenuated for total T with further adjustments for smoking, physical activity, menstrual status, oral contraceptive/hormone (OCHM) use, insulin level, oligomenorrhea, and age at menarche, but remained statistically significant for free T and SHBG. Associations were similar for both Blacks and Whites, and OCHM nonusers, but not for OCHM users.

Conclusion: High androgenicity in young premenopausal women is associated with higher risk of future MetS, suggesting that early assessment of androgens may contribute to prevention.

Citing Articles

Associations of sex hormone ratios with metabolic syndrome and inflammation in US adult men and women.

Dubey P, Singh V, Venishetty N, Trivedi M, Reddy S, Lakshmanaswamy R Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024; 15:1384603.

PMID: 38660513 PMC: 11039964. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1384603.

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