Low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate are associated with the risk of developing cardiac autonomic dysfunction in elderly subjects

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relationships between serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels and heart rate variability (HRV) among different age groups. Subjects and methods: Fortyfive healthy men were divided into 3 groups: young age (YA; 20-39 yrs; n = 15), middle age (MA; 40-59 yrs; n = 15) and old age (OA; ≥ 60 yrs; n = 15). Hemodynamic parameters, linear analyses of HRV and concentrations of cortisol and DHEA-S were measured at rest. Results: The OA group presented a higher resting heart rate (84.3 ± 4.6 bpm) than the YA group (72.0 ± 4.4 bpm; p < 0.05). The YA group showed an attenuated variance of HRV (2235.1 ± 417.9 ms 2) compared to the MA (1014.3 ± 265.2 ms 2 ; p < 0.05) and OA (896.3 ± 274.1 ms 2 ; p < 0.05) groups, respectively. The parasympathetic modulation of HRV was lower in both the MA (244.2 ± 58.0 ms 2) and OA (172.8 ± 37.9 ms 2) groups in comparison with the YA group (996.0 ± 255.4 ms 2 ; p < 0.05), while serum DHEA-S levels were significantly lower in both the MA (91.2 ± 19.6 mg/dL) and OA (54.2 ± 17.7 mg/dL) groups compared to the YA group (240.0 ± 50.8 mg/dL; p < 0.05). A positive correlation between lower serum concentrations of DHEA-S and attenuated variance of HRV (r = 0.47, p = 0.031), as well as lower serum concentrations of DHEA-S and decreased parasympathetic modulation of HRV (r = 0.54, p = 0.010), were found. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the decline of plasma DHEA-S is associated with reduced cardiac autonomic modulation during the aging process.

Association of salivary steroid hormones and their ratios with time-domain heart rate variability indices in healthy individuals

“…Available data for the associations between salivary DHEA and cardiac autonomic regulation are very scarce but show the same trend of a positive correlation between HRV measures and DHEA or DHEA-S levels (17)(18)(19). Although the exact mechanisms of DHEA(S) effects on sympathovagal balance are unclear, it is hypothesized that the existence of cardiac DHEA(S) receptors and the regulatory effects of DHEA(S) on sympathetic adrenal activity may serve as an essential linkage between increased HRV and higher DHEA(S) levels in blood serum or saliva samples (17,19). Previous research suggested that administration of DHEA in young adult males has been related to diminished activation of the amygdala and hippocampus (20).…”