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Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in women. Relationships with age, body mass index and insulin levels

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Abstract

Sex and age are the major determinants of serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S): they are about twice in men than in women and show a progressive reduction from the end of the puberty to aging in both sexes. It has been reported that DHEA-S levels are also negatively influenced by insulin. Moreover, DHEA-S levels reduction has been associated to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, which connotes hyperinsulinemic states, such as obesity. We have evaluated serum levels of DHEA-S and insulin as function of age and body mass index (BMI) in 376 adult women (age 18.1–89.6 yrs, median 42.2; BMI 15.7–57.8 kg/m2, median 32.7) by multiple regression and piecewise regression analysis. Insulin levels positively associated to BMI (p=0.000002) and DHEA-S levels negatively associated with age (p=0.000001). Considering the whole population, DHEA-S levels were related positively with BMI (p=0.0013) independently of age. DHEA-S were also directly related to insulin levels independently of age (p=0.042), but this association disappeared after correction for BMI. Piecewise regression analysis did not reveal a threshold level for the increase of BMI (p=0.0004). Interestingly, DHEA-S levels and BMI were positively associated before but not after menopause. Taking into account only obese population, (no.=143, age 18.7w–67.3 yrs, mean 39.0, median 39.4) DHEA-S levels were again related negatively with age and positively with BMI, while were unrelated with waist to hip ratio (p=0.391). Our data show that increasing body mass and insulin secretion is not associated to DHEA-S reduction in women. This evidence suggests that DHEA-S is unlikely implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in obese women.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.O. di Endocrinologia, Ospedale Maria Vittoria, A.S.L. 3, Torino, Italy

    E. Mazza & M. Messina

  2. Centro Trasfusionale, Ospedale Maria Vittoria, A.S.L. 3, Torino, Italy

    S. Patroncini

  3. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, U.O. di Endocrinologia, Università di Torino, Italy

    E. Mazza, M. Maccario, J. Ramunni, C. Gauna, A. Bertagna, A. M. Barberis & Ezio Ghigo M.D.

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  1. E. Mazza
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Mazza, E., Maccario, M., Ramunni, J. et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in women. Relationships with age, body mass index and insulin levels. J Endocrinol Invest 22, 681–687 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03343629

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