Biomedical subjects

S Kirchengast

Publications and source records attributed to S Kirchengast.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Body dimensions and thyroid hormone levels in premenopausal and postmenopausal women from Austria.

Correlations between thyroid hormone levels and body dimensions were investigated in a group of 124 premenopausal (ages 16-40 years) and 142 postmenopausal (ages 38-61 years) women from Vienna, Austria. Twenty-nine absolute body dimensions and thirteen anthropometric indices were correlated with the serum levels of thyroxine, triiodothyronine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and thyroid-hormone-binding globulin as well as three hormone ratios (T3/T4, T4/TSH, T3/TSH). All hormones exhibited statistically significant correlations with 24 anthropometric variables and 11 indices. The correlations between thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels and the body measurements were predominantly positive in both proband groups. Higher thyroid hormone levels were associated positively with body dimensions, especially with the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue, in adult females independently of their menstrual status. The direction of the correlations between thyroid-stimulating hormone and body measures as well as anthropometric indices differed between the premenopausal and the postmenopausal women. While in premenopausal women mainly positive correlations between anthropometric characters and the level of thyroid stimulating hormone occur, in postmenopausal women most of these correlations are negative. This is probably due to the decrease of thyroid-stimulating hormone levels with increasing age, as well as with changes in body shape during the climacteric and after the menopause.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Intercorrelations between menstrual cycle patterns and body dimensions in Austrian women.

The relationships between 29 cephalic and post-cephalic body dimensions and the length and regularity of the menstrual cycle, as well as the duration of menstrual bleeding, have been investigated in 327 Austrian women. Five of the eight head measurements and seventeen of the 21 body measurements correlated statistically significantly with the individual menstrual variables. Measures of facial and post-cephalic robustness and the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue correlated negatively with the length of cycle, as well as with the difference between minimum and maximum cycle length, a measure of the cycle regularity. The post-cephalic height and length dimensions correlated significantly positively with bleeding duration. The results indicated a marked influence of body type, especially the amount of subcutaneous fat, on the length and regularity of the menstrual cycle.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Absorption of orally supplied natural estrogens correlated with age and somatometric parameters.

The plasma levels of estradiol were studied in 20 postmenopausal women over a period of 8 h following the ingestion of a single dose of 2 mg estradiol valerate and 2 mg micronized estradiol. The determined plasma estradiol concentrations were correlated with somatometric characteristics and age. Twenty-six postcephalic body measurements, the body weight and six skin-fold thickness measurements were taken and the body mass index computed; estradiol serum concentration was measured before and after administration of micronized estradiol and estradiol valerate, respectively. It was shown that estradiol concentrations obtained after estradiol valerate and micronized estradiol ingestion were dependent on the patient's age as well as on the constitutional type. Additionally, we found that there were differences in the reachable estradiol plasma concentrations following the application of the two preparations. Our results justify the individual and differentiated estrogen replacement therapy of the postmenopausal woman.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1994

Interaction between sex hormone levels and body dimensions in postmenopausal women.

I investigated in a sample of 171 postmenopausal women from Vienna the association patterns between 21 absolute body measures, 3 anthropometric factors, and 14 anthropometric indexes, and the serum levels of estradiol, the gonadotropins LH and FSH, the gestagens progesterone and 17-OHP, prolactin, the androgens testosterone, DHEAS, and androstenedione, and the transport protein sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Statistically significant correlations could be observed between LH, FSH, estradiol, DHEAS, and SHBG and 16 absolute body measures, the 3 anthropometric factors, and all anthropometric indexes. Above all, the gonadotropins LH and FSH correlated significantly negatively with the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue, and positive correlations were found between estradiol level and amount of adipose tissue. This last correlation might be due to the aromatization activity of human adipose tissue, which acts as a secondary hormonal gland after menopause. The androgens testosterone and androstenedione, the gestagens, and prolactin showed no statistically significant correlations with the anthropometric variables. Several statistically significant relations between DHEAS and SHBG and the anthropometric variables could be observed.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

[Differential fertility and body constitution of fertile and postmenopausal women from Austria].

With 156 fertile and 171 postmenopausal patients of the I. Universitäts-Frauenklinik in Vienna the intercorrelations between 29 cephalic and postcephalic body measures, 34 anthropometric indices and number and date of pregnancies, spontaneous abortions as well as births were computed. For both proband groups typical correlation patterns between the two trait systems could be observed. It turned out, that small, robust women with a high amount of subcutaneous fat tissue had more pregnancies and births than tall, slender women with less amount of subcutaneous fat tissue. Differences between the two groups occurred only with regard to the number of significant correlations as well as of the height of the correlation coefficients. With the fertile probands more significant and especially higher correlations were stated. The correlations between the anthropometric characters and the date of the individual pregnancies yielded marked differences between the two samples: the number of significant correlations of the postmenopausal women surpassed the number of significant correlations of the fertile women. Concerning the causes for the intercorrelations between fertility and body dimensions, hormonal factors and somatic changes resulting from pregnancies and births as well as age-dependent changes of body shape are discussed.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1993

Relations between anthropometric characteristics and degree of severity of the climacteric syndrome in Austrian women.

The connection between body-shape characteristics, namely distribution of subcutaneous fat, and the occurrence of psychic and somatic climacteric symptoms was investigated in 142 postmenopausal women from Eastern Austria. It was found that both psychic and somatic symptoms are significantly related to body-shape characteristics. With increasing breadth and circumference, i.e. a higher proportion of subcutaneous fat, the degree of severity of several symptoms increases, with the exception of hot flushes and sweating, dizziness, headache and palpitation. Since, in the climacteric, subcutaneous fat has a positive impact on the secretion of oestrogens and thus on climacteric symptoms, the results of the present study may be interpreted as an effect of the psychosocial stress to which corpulent women are exposed in our society because they do not fit the beauty ideal typical of our culture.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

[Characteristics of the menstrual cycle in relation to sex-typical distribution of fatty tissue].

The association between duration as well as regularity of the menstrual cycle and the sex type specific distribution of the subcutaneous fat tissue has been investigated in 327 patients. It turned out that the so-called 'gynecoid' subcutaneous fat distribution was associated with shorter and more regular menstrual cycles. A marked relationship between the sex type specific fat distribution and the bleeding duration could not found.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1993

[Sex hormone concentrations and body dimensions of postmenopausal women as correlates of age at menarche].

The present study focused on the correlations between age at menarche and body dimensions as well as sex hormone levels in 142 postmenopausal Austrian women. Statistically significant correlations occurred between the age at menarche and levels of the sex hormones estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and androstenedione as well as several cephalic and post-cephalic length- and height dimensions. Women with a late menarche showed lower sex hormone levels and surpassed women with an early menarche in all length- and height dimensions. Regarding the circumference measures and the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue, no statistically significant correlations with the age at menarche could be observed. Nevertheless the women with an early menarche were more corpulent than women with a late menarche. The fact, that with postmenopausal women no statistically significant correlations between the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue and the age at menarche could be observed is caused by several exogenous factors, like changes in nutritional habits and less physical training in ageing women.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Metric characters of the hard palate and their cephalometric correlations in Namibian !Kung San and Kenyan tribes.

The metric characters of the head and hard palate of 138 black males from Kenya and 110 male !Kung San from Namibia have for the first time been compared to describe the black and Khoisan variation with respect to these special trait systems. The palate measurements were taken from prints of self-hardening plastic. Nearly all metric characters show significant differences between the two populations, which are reflected in a relevant discriminant function. The analyses of correlations between the individual head and palate measurements yield different correlation patterns in the two samples also with regard to their significance and direction. These results and the generally low correlation coefficients can be explained by the complex processes of allometric head growth, resulting in the Sans' pedomorphous and the blacks' more adultiform head and palate trait combinations.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

[Effect of body build on menstrual cycle].

The relation between 21 absolute body dimensions as well as 20 anthropometric indices and the length as well as the regularity of the menstrual cycle have been investigated in 156 patients of the hormone ambulance of the I. Universitäts-Frauenklinik in Vienna. It turned out, that the length as well as the regularity of the menstrual cycle significantly negatively with the amount of the subcutaneous fat tissue. With an increasing amount of adipose tissue, the cycle became shorter and more regular. The importance of the subcutaneous fat tissue as a secondary hormonal gland has been discussed as one cause for these significant connections. Regarding the length- and height dimensions and the menstrual cycle patterns, no statistically significantly relationship could be observed between these two trait system. This is also true for the relationship between body built and the bleeding duration.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Relations between fertility, body shape and menopause in Austrian women.

The influence of number and date of pregnancies, births, and spontaneous and induced abortions on body shape, age at menopause and menopausal symptoms have been studied for 110 postmenopausal Viennese women. A significant correlation between fertility and age at menopause was not found, but several menopausal symptoms showed statistically significant correlations with fertility. With a higher number of pregnancies the individual symptoms became more severe.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Advanced maternal age is not only associated with newborn somatometrics but also with the mode of delivery.

BACKGROUND: At both extremes of reproductive phase, female cycles are characterized by a high rate of anovulation, and pregnancies at these phases of reproductive span are considered as risky for obstetric complications, poor pregnancy outcome and increased maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. AIM: To analyse if this high rate of anovulation may be interpreted as an adaptation to poor pregnancy outcome. Therefore the association patterns between maternal age and newborn somatometric characteristics and the mode of delivery were tested. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The associations between the age as well as somatic characteristics such as pre-pregnancy weight, stature, pelvic dimensions and pregnancy weight gain of 10 765 women aged between 12 and 49 years (mean = 25.3, SD = 5.7) and newborn body dimensions and the mode of delivery were analysed. RESULTS: With increasing maternal age, maternal and newborn body dimensions increased significantly. Although extremely young mothers were significantly shorter and lighter and exhibited the significantly lowest pre-pregnancy weight status and the narrowest pelvic dimensions, they showed the lowest rates of caesarean sections (13.1%) and, unexpectedly, not the highest rate of low weight newborns (<2,500 g). In contrast, for mothers older than 35 years the highest rate of low weight newborns (3.7%) and the highest rate of macrosom newborns (<4,000 g) were found. Furthermore, mothers older than 40 years experienced the significantly highest rate of caesarean section (31.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Special risks were found for mothers older than 35 years, so the lower rates of ovulatory cycles during this phase of life may be interpreted as an adaptation to increased risks for complications and poor pregnancy outcome.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anthropometric-hormonal correlation patterns in fertile and post-menopausal women from Austria.

Correlations between sex-hormone levels and body dimensions were investigated in a group of women from Vienna. Since sex-hormone concentrations in women are subject to dramatic changes with increasing age, both 124 fertile and 142 postmenopausal women were examined. Twenty-nine anthropometric traits were correlated with oestradiol, the gonadotrophins luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), the gestagens progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and prolactin, and the androgens testosterone, androstenedione and DHEA-S, as well as with the transport protein, sex-hormone binding globulin. It was also found that oestradiol concentration was related to levels of gonadotrophins, prolactin, progesterone and androgens and was equally correlated with metric traits. Statistically significant correlations could be observed between all sex-hormone concentrations and the 29 anthropometric traits. The most striking result is the change in direction of correlations between metric traits and oestrogen, gonadotrophin, prolactin and gestagen levels between both proband groups, which is probably due to changes in sex-hormone concentrations in women after menopause. The direction of correlations with androgens remained the same. In post-menopausal women the great impact of fat tissue for sufficient synthesis of oestrogen is shown by a positive correlation between oestradiol and circumference measures.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anthropometric characteristics and pulsatile growth hormone secretion patterns in premenopausal and postmenopausal women from Austria.

The intercorrelations between 18 anthropometric variables, describing amount and distribution of subcutaneous fat tissue, and 12 growth hormone (GH) levels which had been obtained at intervals of 2 hours over a period of 24 hours, were tested in 25 premenopausal and 23 postmenopausal women from Austria. The 12 GH levels were included in the analyses because the GH shows typical pulsatile secretion patterns with peak values about midnight. Initially, premenopausal and postmenopausal women showed significantly different secretion patterns of GH; furthermore it became evident that the GH constantly correlated positively, however insignificantly, with stature height, but significantly negatively with all those measures describing amount and distribution of subcutaneous fat tissue. Beyond that the present paper indicates that age and menopausal status have a marked influence on GH secretion patterns. It became evident that, independent of menopausal status, typical association patterns between frequency of GH pulses per 24 hours, as well as the amplitude of the individual bursts and the amount of subcutaneous fat tissue, occur.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Menopause-associated differences in female fat patterning estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

The aim of the present study was to describe and quantify the typical changes in fat patterning from premenopause to postmenopause. The absolute and relative fat and lean body mass were estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 461 healthy non-obese females between the ages of 18 and 64 years (x = 43.2). Significant differences (p < 0.001) in absolute and relative fat mass, body weight and body mass index between pre-, peri- and postmenopausal females were observed. Postmenopausal women were significantly heavier (BMI, x = 26.8) than perimenopausal (BMI, x = 24.4) and younger and older premenopausal women (BMI, x = 22.8) and showed significantly higher fat percentages (fat% x = 38.1) in comparison to perimenopausal (x = 36.8) and premenopausal females (x = 31.4). Three indices, upper body composition index, lower body composition index and fat distribution index were calculated. Typical differences in fat distribution patterns between females of differential menopausal status were found. During the premenopausal phase a more gynoid type of fat distribution prevailed, during the postmenopausal phase a more android kind of fat distribution occurred predominantly. The fat distribution during the perimenopause can be interpreted as less gynoid than during the premenopause.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Maternal prepregnancy weight status and pregnancy weight gain as major determinants for newborn weight and size.

The impact of maternal anthropometric characteristics, above all prepregnancy weight status and pregnancy weight gain, on newborn size was tested using 10,240 single births in the University Hospital of Vienna, Austria. Highly significant relations between maternal prepregnancy weight status and newborn size were observed. With higher maternal prepregnancy body mass index, higher birthweight, length, head circumference, acromial circumference and fronto occipitalis diameter occurred. Furthermore the incidence of low weight newborns (< 2500 g) was significantly higher in underweight women than in normal weight, overweight and obese women. Although the pregnancy weight gain was significantly higher in underweight women than in normal weight, this higher pregnancy weight gain was not able to compensate for the negative impact of poor weight status before pregnancy. These results indicate that even in a highly developed country such as Austria, where starvation is a nearly unknown problem and the medical and social system are well developed, a poor maternal weight status is a risk factor for growth retarded and low weight births.

Birth Weight↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Weight status of adult !Kung San and Kavango people from northern Namibia.

An anthropometric assessment was conducted at 238 !Kung San hunter-gatherers aged between 18 and 65 years (mean = 30.8 years), 156 Kavango horticultural pastoralists aged between 18 and 61 years (mean = 29.2 years) and for 87 urbanized Kavango people aged between 18 and 61 years (mean = 29.3 years) living as wage earning employees in northern Namibia. Weight status was estimated by using body mass index categories according to the recommendations of the WHO. As is typical for human populations, men were taller and heavier than women within the same ethnic groups. An interethnic comparison showed that both !Kung San women and men were lighter than Kavango women and men. The mean BMI of !Kung San women was 19.1 and of !Kung San men 19.4 kg/m2. Kavango people exhibited higher average BMI values, 19.4 for women, 20.3 kg/m2 for men. With the exception of the male urban Kavango people a high percentage (more than 30%) of the subjects were thin and underweight, as shown by a BMI of < 18.5 kg/m2. This was especially true of the !Kung San of both sexes and the rural Kavango men. Nearly 25% of !Kung San women met the criterion of weight depletion (BMI < 17.0). The cultural transition from nomadic hunter gatherer subsistence to a more sedentary life style over the last 20 years can be interpreted as an environmental stress which affected male as well as female nutritional status. The hard economic situation of the rural Kavango people may also be a stress factor which negatively influenced their nutritional status, especially of the men. The significantly better nutritional status of the urban Kavango men may be the result of the opportunities for work as wage earners or as soldiers.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Association between maternal age at menarche and newborn size.

The impact of maternal age at menarche on newborn size was tested using data from 4,996 single births taking place at Vienna, Austria, between 1985 and 1995--so-called teenager pregnancies were excluded from the present analyses. All women experienced pregnancies between the ages of 19 to 42 years. Maturational time was related significantly to infant weight and length independent of maternal age and behavioral variables such as smoking. Early maturation, i.e., age at menarche before the 12th birthday, was significantly associated with decreased newborn weight and size. The incidence of low-weight newborns was significantly higher in early-maturing mothers. The more favorable nutritional status of women whose menarche occurred relatively early was not able to compensate for the negative effects of early maturation on intrauterine growth. Higher circulating estrogen levels in early maturers preserved into adulthood are discussed as possible reasons for intrauterine growth retardation of the offspring of early-maturing mothers.

Adolescent↗