Adiposity and Reporting of Vasomotor Symptoms among Midlife Women : The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation

It has long been hypothesized that increased adiposity would be associated with decreased vasomotor symptoms during menopause because of conversion of androgens to estrogens in body fat. However, recent thermoregulatory models have postulated that increased adipose tissue would be associated with a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of epidemiology 2008-01, Vol.167 (1), p.78-85
Main Authors: THURSTON, Rebecca C, SOWERS, Maryfran R, YUEFANG CHANG, STERNFELD, Barbara, GOLD, Ellen B, JOHNSTON, Janet M, MATTHEWS, Karen A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adiposity - physiology
Adult
Analysis. Health state
Biological and medical sciences
Body fat
Dermatology
Electric Impedance
Epidemiology
Estradiol - blood
Female
Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood
Follow-Up Studies
General aspects
Gynecology
Hot Flashes - blood
Hot Flashes - epidemiology
Hot Flashes - physiopathology
Humans
Immunoassay
Incidence
Life Style
Medical sciences
Menopause
Menopause - physiology
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Multivariate Analysis
Prevalence
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin - metabolism
Surveys and Questionnaires
Sweating
United States - epidemiology
Vascular disorders of the skin
Vasomotor System - physiopathology
Women's Health
Womens health
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Summary:It has long been hypothesized that increased adiposity would be associated with decreased vasomotor symptoms during menopause because of conversion of androgens to estrogens in body fat. However, recent thermoregulatory models have postulated that increased adipose tissue would be associated with a greater likelihood of vasomotor symptoms. The authors evaluated these hypotheses in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, a multiethnic, community-based observational study of US women transitioning through menopause. The sample included 1,776 women aged 47-59 years with an intact uterus and at least one ovary who completed bioelectrical impedance analysis for assessment of body composition at the sixth annual study visit (2002-2004). Assessments also included reported vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats) and serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and sex hormone-binding globulin-adjusted estradiol (free estradiol index). Results indicated that a higher percentage of body fat was associated with increased odds of reporting vasomotor symptoms (per standard deviation increase in percent body fat, odds ratio = 1.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.14, 1.42) in age- and site-adjusted models. Associations persisted in fully adjusted models and were not reduced when models included reproductive hormones. These findings support a thermoregulatory model of vasomotor symptoms.
ISSN:0002-9262
1476-6256
DOI:10.1093/aje/kwm244