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01-01-2011 | Original paper

Physical activity and endogenous sex hormones in postmenopausal women: to what extent are observed associations confounded or modified by BMI?

Authors: Stefanie Liedtke, Martina E. Schmidt, Susen Becker, Rudolf Kaaks, Aida Karina Zaineddin, Katharina Buck, Dieter Flesch-Janys, Jürgen Wahrendorf, Jenny Chang-Claude, Karen Steindorf

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 1/2011

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate associations between physical activity and endogenous sex hormones after menopause with a special focus on confounding and effect modification by body mass index (BMI).

Methods

A cross-sectional study among 1,260 postmenopausal women was conducted. Generalized linear models were used to compare levels of total leisure-time physical activity, sports activities, bicycling, and walking with levels of sex hormones and sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG).

Results

Higher sports activity levels were significantly associated with lower levels of estrone and total and free testosterone in multivariate adjusted models. After additional adjustment for BMI, associations with estrone and free testosterone were attenuated; the association with total testosterone remained unchanged. No physical activity variable was significantly related to total and free estradiol, androstenedione, or SHBG. We did not observe effect modification by BMI.

Conclusions

Sports activities may lead to lower levels of estrone and testosterone in postmenopausal women. While effects on estrone and free testosterone seem to be largely mediated by BMI, effects on total testosterone appear to be mainly independent of BMI. The BMI-independent effects on these hormones (especially on total testosterone) could at least partly explain why physical activity has been frequently reported to be preventive for postmenopausal breast cancer, even after accounting for BMI.

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Title: Physical activity and endogenous sex hormones in postmenopausal women: to what extent are observed associations confounded or modified by BMI?
Authors: Stefanie Liedtke
Martina E. Schmidt
Susen Becker
Rudolf Kaaks
Aida Karina Zaineddin
Katharina Buck
Dieter Flesch-Janys
Jürgen Wahrendorf
Jenny Chang-Claude
Karen Steindorf
Publication date: 01-01-2011
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 1/2011
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9677-4

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Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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