Microvascular function has no menstrual-cycle-dependent variation in healthy ovulatory women.

Objective: Hyper- and hypoestrogenism that persist for a long time can affect vascular and metabolic function. However, it is not clear whether the same is true for subtle sex hormone changes (i.e.

Obese but not normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome are characterized by metabolic and microvascular insulin resistance.

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and obesity are associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but it is unclear to what extent PCOS contributes independently of obesity.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate whether insulin sensitivity and insulin's effects on the microcirculation are impaired in normal-weight and obese women with PCOS.

Design And Population: Thirty-five women with PCOS (19 normal weight and 16 obese) and 27 age- and body mass index-matched controls (14 normal weight and 13 obese) were included.

Superiority of skinfold measurements and waist over waist-to-hip ratio for determination of body fat distribution in a population-based cohort of Caucasian Dutch adults.

Objective: To determine which anthropometric measurement is the most reliable alternative for fat distribution as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Design: Population-based survey carried out in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 376 individuals (200 women) with a mean age of 36.