研究目的：評估臺灣男性之瘦素及性荷南蒙與肥胖及脂肪分佈的體位測量參數（身體質量指數BMI、腰臀比WHR）間的關係。材料與方法：總共有346位台灣男性（中位年齡52歲）參與本研究計劃。本研究採用身體質量指數(body mass index [BMID])及腰臀比(wais/hip ratio [WHR])這兩個參數來估計肥胖程度及體脂肪分佈。瘦素及性荷爾蒙，包括總睪固酮、游離睪固酮、硫酸去氫表雄脂酮(DHEAS)、性激素結合球蛋白(SHBG)及雌二醇，皆使放射免疫分析法(RIA)測定血中濃度。依年齡另日區分的瘦素(leptin)和性荷爾蒙相關性，採用曼懷特檢定(Mann-Whitney test)；而瘦素及性荷爾蒙與身體質量指數、腰臀比、及年齡的相關性則採用無母數統計（non-parametric statistics，皮爾森相關係數Pearson coefficients）。結果：游離睪固酮及硫酸去氫表雄脂酮血中濃度隨老化過程而降低，在某些年齡別層是有統計意義(p<0.001 to p<0.05, respectively)，且與年齡成相反關係。性激素結合球蛋白血中濃度增加和年齡有關(r=0.38, p<0.001)，在年齡別層也是呈現有意義的增加。雖然身體質量指數及腰臀比在年齡別層呈穩定性，然而腰臀比隨年齡增加而有意義的增加(r=0.28, p<0.001)。瘦素雖然在不同年齡別層的變化並無統計意義，但與年齡成正相關(r=0.1, p<0.05)，而且和身體質量指數(r=0.56, p<0.001)及腰臀比(r=0.28, p<0.001)有強烈相關。結論：在台灣男性，年齡增加伴隨著性荷爾蒙濃度降低，性激素結合球蛋白及瘦素增加；除此之外，體脂肪量不隨年齡而改變，但體脂肪分佈隨年齡而改變。在體位測量參數方面，只有瘦素強烈呈現和年齡相關之變化。

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationships of leptin and sex hormones with the anthropometric parameters of general obesity (body mass index, BMI) and fat distribution (waist/hip ratio, WHR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 346 Taiwanese males aged 40~89 (median, 52) years included in this study. The body mass index [BMI, weight (kg)/height (m^2)] was used as a measure of general obesity. The waist/hip ratio [WHR, waist circumference (cm)/hip circumference (cm)] was used to estimate fat distribution. Leptin and sex steroid levels, including total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and estradiol were assessed using a radioimmunoassay. The relationships of leptin and sex hormones to age-specific ranges (in 10-year increments) were evaluated by the Mann-Whitney test, and these to BMI, WHR, and age were evaluated by use of non-parametric statistics (Pearson coefficients). RESULTS: Free testosterone and DHEAS levels declined with the aging process, showing significant declines in certain age-specific ranges (p<0.001 to p<0.05, respectively), and were also inversely correlated with age (r=-0.51, p<0.001; r=-0.56, p<0.001, respectively), while an increase of SHBG was related to age (r=0.38, p<0.001) and significantly increased in age-specific ranges. Although the BMI and WHR were generally steady among the age-specific ranges (BMI values of between 24.1±3.0 and 25.2±4.4kg/m^2, and WHR values of between 0.90±0.04 and 0.93±0.05), WHR demonstrated a significant increase with age (r=0.28, p<0.001). Moreover, leptin demonstrated non-significant changes in age-specific ranges, but leptin was shown to be related to age (r=0.10, p<0.05) and strongly related to the BMI (r=0.56, p<0.001) and WHR (r=0.28, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In Taiwanese males, age is accompanied by reductions in sex hormone levels, and increases in SHBG and leptin; moreover, there was no significant change in the fat body mass, but there was a change in the body composition. Only leptin and total testosterone demonstrated significant relationships with age-related changes in anthropometric parameters (BMI and WHR).