Both sexes show a significant decrease in the synthesis of sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), but this may lead to an increase in free androgen blood concentrations in women with the abdominal, but not the peripheral, phenotype.63 Moreover, the production rates of SHBG-bound androgens (particularly testosterone) and androgens not bound to SHBG (such as dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA] and androstenedione), have been found to be equally increased in female obesity.64 Therefore, women with the abdominal obesity phenotype are characterized by a mild relative hyperandrogenic state. This evidence concerns the gene SHBG and Abdominal obesity.