Evaluation of the relations between reproduction-related pituitary and ovarian hormones and abdominal fat area-related variables determined with computed tomography in overweight or obese women who have undergone bariatric surgery: a cross-sectional study.

Background: An understanding of the associations between midregion fat depots and systemic hormone levels will be crucial for developing health-promotion messages aimed at overweight or obese women. However, related research in this area is rare. The present study was performed to identify and quantify fat-related reproduction pituitary and ovarian hormones in overweight or obese women.

Methods: A total of 250 eligible overweight or obese women scheduled to undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) from a single center were retrospectively included in this study. Computed tomography (CT) images at the level of the umbilicus were selected, and abdominal fat areas were measured and calculated. The reproduction-related pituitary and ovarian hormones were also measured. The correlations among the parameters were examined using Spearman correlation test. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed after log and β-transformation of the hormone levels and fat area-related variables.

Results: Positive correlations were detected for prolactin (PRL) with total fat area (TFA) [β=0.045; P=0.029; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.004-0.085] and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) (β=0.066; P=0.023; 95% CI: 0.009-0.123), whereas estradiol showed a negative correlation with visceral fat area (VFA) (β=-0.056, P=0.005; 95% CI: -0.096 to -0.017) and relative VFA (rVFA) (β=-0.068; P=0.001; 95% CI: -0.109 to -0.027) and a positive correlation with SFA (β=0.036; P=0.042; 95% CI: 0.001-0.071). Progesterone (PROG) was negatively correlated with both VFA (β=-0.037; P=0.002; 95% CI: -0.061 to -0.013) and rVFA (β=-0.039; P=0.002; 95% CI: -0.063 to -0.014). The final results revealed that TFA was increased by 3.1% and SFA was increased by 4.7% with a doubling of PRL concentration; VFA was reduced by 2.5% and rVFA was reduced by 2.6% with a doubling of PROG concentration; and VFA was reduced by 3.8%, rVFA was reduced by 4.6%, and SFA was increased by 2.5% with a doubling of estradiol concentration.

Conclusions: There exist certain associations between some reproduction-related pituitary and ovarian hormones and fat areas. Our findings provide new insights into the associations between midregion fat depots and systemic hormone levels in overweight or obese women.