Markers of abdominal adipose tissue in women: relationship to ovarian function.

Increased abdominal adipose tissue (AAT) mass, as most reliably measured by waist circumference, in pubescent girls positively correlates with insulinemia, circulating insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin resistance, androgenemia, and both plasma luteinizing hormone and estradiol levels. Because insulin resistance and androgen excess regularly accompany the ovarian changes seen in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), we propose that elevated AAT mass in adolescent girls, acting through an increase in insulin resistance, might make them more prone to the development of full-blown PCOS.