The study, published in the journal Diabetes and Obesity Metabolism (2004, vol 6 no 3), investigated the effect of weight loss and weight maintenance on sex hormone levels in obese men with metabolic syndrome. Researchers administered a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) to 58 abdominally obese men with metabolic syndrome, aged 46.3 +/- 7 years, for 9 weeks. Sex hormone levels and body composition measurements were obtained from the participants.
Researchers found that the participants had an average loss of 16.3 +/- 4.5 kilograms, which was maintained after a 12-month maintenance period. Findings also revealed that participants had an average increase of 20.5 nmol/l sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) during the VLCD and 5 nmol/l SHBG during weight maintenance, compared to baseline levels. Free testosterone (fT) levels increased an average of 23 pmol/l during the VLCD and 27 pmol/l during weight maintenance, compared to baseline levels. The participants had transient changes or no changes at all in plasma estradiol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels.
"These findings may be important with regard to prevention of progressive metabolic decompensation and cardiovascular disease associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome," the study authors conclude.
Posted by Kristopher Foster on May 12, 2006 11:12 AM
