Objective: To investigate the change of adiponectin level with menopause status in women aged 40 to 65, and its relationship with androgen.
Methods: A cross-sectional study included woman (aged from 40 to 65) who were in hospital for routine check-up at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from August to October in 2013. All subjects underwent laboratory examinations of adiponectin, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), total testosterone (TT), collected anthropometric measurements and then calculated free androgen index (FAI) and body mass index (BMI). According to their menstrual status, the subjects were divided into 4 groups: premenopausal group with 119 subjects, perimenopausal group with 60 subjects, early postmenopausal group with 62 subjects, late postmenopausal group with 64 subjects.
Results: (1) Adiponectin levels declined to its lowest level in menopausal transition and gradually becoming higher after menopause, which showed a U-shaped trajectory. When compared adiponectin levels in late postmenopausal group [(13 ± 5) mg/L] with those in perimenopausal [(8 ± 6) mg/L] or early postmenopausal group [(9 ± 6) mg/L], it all showed significantly difference (P < 0.05). (2) Both the adiponectin levels were negatively correlated with waistline in the 4 groups (premenopausal group, r = -0.276; perimenopausal group, r = -0.334; early postmenopausal group, r = -0.211; late postmenopausal group, r = -0.218; all P < 0.05). Levels of adiponectin were positively correlated with SHBG (r = 0.536, P < 0.05) and negatively with FAI (r = -0.363, P < 0.05) in menopausal transition, while in late postmenopausal group, negatively correlated with level of DHEA-S (r = -0.450, P < 0.05). When adjusted for age, BMI and waistline, the above correlations still exist.
Conclusions: Adiponectin levels declined to its lowest level in menopausal transition and gradually becoming higher after menopause, which showed a U-shaped trajectory during the sequential menopause status transition in middle aged women. Low level of adiponectin in menopausal transition is closely associated with the relative excess androgen occurred during this stage.