Context: Little information is available on androgens in obese children, and it is unknown whether these hormones change after weight loss.
Objective: The objective of this study was to compare androgens between obese and normal-weight children and to study the effect of weight loss on androgens.
Design: The design was a cross-sectional comparison between obese and normal-weight children separated according to pubertal stage and longitudinal 1-yr follow-up study in obese children participating in a weight-loss intervention.
Setting: The setting of this study was a primary care facility.
Patients: A total of 273 obese and 79 lean children (aged 4-14 yr) were studied, including a subgroup of 155 obese children for the longitudinal study.
Intervention: The intervention program was an outpatient 1-yr intervention program based on exercise, behavior, and nutrition therapy (high-carbohydrate low-fat diet).
Main outcome measures: The outcome measures included testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) at baseline and 1 yr later.
Results: The obese prepubertal children and the obese pubertal girls showed significantly (P < 0.01) higher testosterone and DHEAS levels, whereas obese pubertal boys did not significantly differ in androgens from their lean counterparts. Significant correlations with body mass index were demonstrated in multivariate regression analyses for DHEAS in all children and for testosterone in prepubertal children and in pubertal girls. The obese prepubertal children and obese girls losing substantial weight showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in their testosterone concentrations.
Conclusions: Moderately increased testosterone and DHEAS levels were found in obese prepubertal children and in obese pubertal girls, whereas androgen concentrations did not differ between obese and normal-weight pubertal boys. Weight loss induced a decrease in testosterone in obese prepubertal children and pubertal girls pointing to a reversible increase of androgens.