[Relation between adipose tissue distribution and and circulating lipids in obese women]

Adipose tissue distribution was determined in 50 pre--or post--menopausal women by measuring the waist/hip and arm/thigh circumference ratios and the brachial-femoral adipo-muscular ratio. These three ratios correlated with plasma triglycerides levels irrespective of the women's age and degree of obesity. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were related to age and not to weight or adipose tissue distribution. Compared to pre-menopausal women with the same weight excess, post-menopausal women had a more android type of body fat distribution and higher plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol values. The influences of age and menopause are difficult to separate, since the three distribution ratios are age-related. The correlation between plasma triglycerides and adipose tissue distribution in obese women reflects the metabolic consequences of an abdominal predominance of fat.