In order to investigate the relationship between plasma leveis of SHBG, sex steroids and glucose metabolism, lipid profile, anthropometric measurements, clinical and demographic variables, we studied a group of 80 post-menopausal women, 40 with type 2 diabetes (DM2) aged 64.9±7.1 and with known DM duration of 13.4± 1.4 years and 40 non-diabetic aged 61 ±8.9. We analyzed: age, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), waist, systolic (sBP) and diastolic blood pressure (dBP). Diabetic women had higher frequency of android adiposity (75% vs. 50%, p= 0.03), higher sBP (p= 0.01), higher total testosterone (p= 0.003), free testosterone index (p= 0.02) and insulin resistance index (IRI) (p= 0.000) than non-diabetic women. Non-diabetics with android adiposity had lower levels of SHBG than those with ginecoid adiposity (p= 0.008). In the group with BMI > or = 30kg/m2 and in the group with waist > or = 88cm diabetic women had higher total testosterone and free testosterone index than non-diabetic women. Non-diabetics with android adiposity had higher free testosterone index than those with ginecoid adiposity (p= 0.01). Diabetic women with android adiposity had higher estradiol than those with ginecoid adiposity (p= 0.02). In conclusion, diabetic women had higher frequency of android adiposity, associated with high total testosterone, free testosterone index and estradiol and low levels of SHBG. These results suggest that hyperandrogenism with low SHBG could be indicators of the insulin resistance syndrome, and could somehow increase the insulin resistance in these subjects.
SHBG; Sex steroids; Type 2 diabetes
