Interrelationships between intraabdominal fat and total serum testosterone levels in obese women

Thirty-six women aged 18 to 52 years with body mass indexes (BMIs) between 27 and 52 were studied. Visceral and subcutaneous fat areas and body fat were evaluated by computerized tomography with a single scan at the IV-V lumbar vertebra level. Glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels were measured before and after a glucose load. Total and free serum testosterone and 24-hour urinary cortisol excretion were measured. A stepwise multiple regression equation showed the visceral to subcutaneous fat area ratio to be the most powerful predictor for glucose alterations both during fasting and after a glucose load, and showed BMI to be the most powerful predictor for insulin and C-peptide levels. Total serum testosterone, after matching for age and BMI, demonstrates a significant negative correlation with visceral fat area. We conclude that in obese women, as in men, intraabdominal fat negatively correlates with serum testosterone levels.