As I've been watching a few medical shows lately, I was left with a question. Call it curiosity as the answer to that question would just provide information and nothing more.
Some women suffer from PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), where cysts on the ovaries cause issues. One of these issues are elevated testosterone levels, leading to hairgrowth. One of the main symptoms is weight related issues, as the ladies have difficulties shedding weight, and tend to be quite overweight.
This made me wonder. Why does testosterone in these women cause weight issues, while testosterone in transmen does not? FtM's even get a lot more testosterone, so you would expect more issues.
No idea. I'd be interested in knowing, since I have PCOS and, as a result, weight issues. It is incredibly hard to get rid of and I'm hoping that T will make it easier for me to achieve a health and stable weight. I see the hairiness as a plus at this point, since I have a head start on a beard and a mustache. :D
Oh man, great question. ;D After trawling through UpToDate, I came to the conclusion that we aren't exactly sure what causes PCOS weight gain. It's a complicated story. That said, there is a significant correlation between PCOS, weight issues, and insulin resistance, and that insulin malfunction may be why people with PCOS tend to gain weight or have a hard time losing weight. So maybe that's what separates people with PCOS from the general FTM population?
This study seems to think there's no difference between T and PCOS testosterone, though. I didn't read carefully but, and I quote, "Chronic exposure to higher testosterone levels in women with PCOS may modify body fat distribution in these women. Support for this hypothesis is provided by studies of androgen administration in nonobese female to male transsexuals that lead to increases in visceral fat and adversely impact insulin sensitivity." I think the results of the study suggested that trans guys lose subq fat in their first year on T, but that that difference levelled out by their third year + there was an overall increase in visceral fat.
Again, just skimmed, so sorry for the lack of detail/clarity. Here are the studies:
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9215270 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9215270)
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861983/ (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861983/)
Women with pcos produce too much insulin or the insulin they produce doesn't work properly. The inability of insulin to function normally is one of the reasons women with pcos tend to gain weight and or have a hard time loosing weight. Sometimes pcos developed after weight gain. Women affected by obesity have a higher risk for pcos and women with pcos have a greater risk of obesity. The excess insulin is thought too increase androgen production. Pcos is not well understood. It wouldn't just be testosterone causing weight gain probably more due to insulin. There are a lot of compounding factors.
Hormonal imbalance.
Maybe it's because, even though PCOS women have higher than normal female T levels, their T is still well below the typical male level (around 600 - 1100 ng/dl). I'm not sure whether it is or not, but if their estradiol is reduced, it would cause a similar situation to the one I'm in. I suffer from hypogonadism, which means I have lower than normal male testosterone, and lower than normal female estradiol. Prior to starting on hormones, I'd become quite unwell as a result. As an adult, you need male/female-typical levels of testosterone/estradiol for good health. If both hormones are below the typical adult range, it causes all sorts of problems (which tend to get worse as you get older).
This might help:
larabriden.com/treatment-for-4-types-of-pcos-treat-the-cause/
hugs