Association of obesity and hyperandrogenemia in peripubertal girls: obesity as a risk factor for postpubertal hyperandrogenism

The objective of the present work was to assess the degree of hyperandrogenemia across puberty in obese girls. A cross-sectional analysis of data obtained at Out Patients Clinics. Fasting blood samples were extracted from 56 obese [body mass index [BMI] for age >/= 95%] and 55 normal-weight [BMI for age,<85%] peripubertal girls to assess [testosterone T, sex hormone binding globulin SHBG, free testosterone FT. insulin, blood glucose, LH, FSH and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate DHEAS]. BMI and BMI percentile for age were calculated and correlated with these hormones in each stage of puberty. BMI was found to be correlated with total testosterone [T] [rs 0.81], SHBG [rs=-0.93], and free T [rs=0.74]; free T was 3.9 times as great in obese girls compared with normal-weight girls [p<0.001 for all]. BMI correlated with insulin [rs=-0.93]; both insulin and LH correlated with free T [rs=0.71 and 0.70, respectively; p<0.0001 for all]. When analyzing early pubertal girls [pubertal stages 1-3; n=41] alone, BMI correlated with total T [rs=0.97], SHBG [rs=-0.89], and free T [rs=0.96]; free T was 5.2 times as great in obese early-pubertal girls [p<0.001]. BMI correlated with insulin [rs 0.87], and insulin correlated with free T [rs=0.87, p<0.0001 for both]. BMI correlated with free T [rs=0.96, p<0.0001]. In conclusion, peripubertal obesity is associated with marked hyperandrogenemia, which is especially pronounced in early puberty