The impact of total body fat mass, and of its distribution in the trunk, on thyroid hormonelevels after complete weight restoration, with or without recovery of menses, in adolescentswith anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Background and purpose: To determine the impact of total body fat mass, and of its distribution in the trunk, on thyroid hormone levels after complete weight restoration, with or without recovery of menses, in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN).|
Methods: Prospective study of 60 adolescents with AN and amenorrhea. Anthropometrics, body composition and hormonal studies were obtained at the beginning of the study and at complete weight restoration, whether (Group A) or not (Group B) menses were recovered.|
Results: In both groups, free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were statistically significantly higher (p<0.001) at the end of the study compared with the time of first attendance. At weight restoration, a statistically significantly positive correlation was found between total body fat mass (Kg and %), trunk fat mass (Kg and %) and FT3 and FT4 levels in both Group A and Group B adolescents. At the same time point, trunk/extremities fat ratio was found to be statistically significantly positively correlated with FT3 (r=0.586, p<0.001) and FT4 (r=0.512, p<0.01), but not with TSH, in girls who recovered their menses, in contrast with adolescents who remained amenorrheic.| Conclusions: Total body fat mass and its distribution in the trunk were found to be statistically significantly positively correlated with FT3 and FT4 in adolescents with AN who completed restored their weight and recovered their menses.