Background: Obesity is associated with a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer, which may partly be explained by its influence on sex steroid hormone concentrations. However, different measures of obesity are not equally strongly associated with the risk of these diseases, and, thus, might also differently influence circulating levels of sex steroid hormones.

Objective: To estimate and compare the associations of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat with circulating sex steroid hormone levels.

Methods: In our analysis, we included 1,256 men, aged 20+ years, who attended the morning examination session of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III; 1988-1991). Serum hormones were measured by immunoassay. Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured by trained staff. Percent body fat was estimated from bioelectrical impedance. Linear regression was used to estimate associations between body fatness measures and hormone levels adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, previously identified correlates of hormone levels, and the other hormones.

Results. Total and free testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations decreased with increasing BMI, waist circumference, and percent body fat (all p-trend <0.05), whereas total and free estradiol increased with increasing measures of body fatness (all p-trend <0.05). The magnitude of change in any one of these hormones was similar for a one quartile increase in each body fatness measure.

Conclusions: Measured BMI, waist circumference, and percent body fat led to similar inferences about the association between body fatness and hormone levels in men.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1921. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1921

©2011 American Association for Cancer Research
2011