Association of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness in Independent Community‐Dwelling Older Men and Women

Abstract

In this group of independent community-dwelling older men, several factors were found to be associated with the serum DHEAS concentration, whereas in a group of older women, no such associations were identified with the exception of BMI. Men in the highest quartile of serum DHEAS level, compared with those with a serum DHEAS level in the lowest quartile, were younger, leaner, more fit, had higher TT and FT levels, and had a favorable lipid profile. No such differences were identified between the women in the highest and the lowest quartiles of serum DHEAS level.

Higher physical activity is associated with increased androgens, low interleukin 6 and less aortic calcification in peripheral obese elderly women

“…An increase of DHEA is less pronounced in elderly people after exercise (Malarkey et al 1993). However, findings of increased DHEA after exercise was not found in other studies in elderly women (Hersey et al 1994, Milani et al 1995, Abbasi et al 1998, Hakkinen et al 2000. Our present study indicates, that the discrepant findings might be explained by differences in body fat distribution, because only peripheral adipose women demonstrated the positive association between physical activity and plasma levels of DHEA and ASD.…”

Dehydroepiandrosterone, obesity and cardiovascular disease risk: a review of human studies

“…In men, the magnitude and direction of the association between DHEA-S and obesity is also equivocal. Seven studies found a significant association between plasma DHEA-S and measures of obesity (55 -61), two studies found that DHEA-S was negatively associated with measures of obesity (57,59), whereas five studies found the opposite (55,56,58,60). A number of studies also found no significant association (62 -67).…”

“…In the study by Abbassi et al (58), the association between DHEA-S and age was non-significant in women, which suggests that the positive association between BMI and DHEA-S was presumably independent of age in that study. Moreover, statistical adjustment for age did not abolish the negative association found in males between DHEA-S and body fat mass or percent body fat (58). Adjustment for age led to a non-significant correlation between DHEA-S and BMI in the women studied by Barrett-Connor & Ferrara (52).…”

“…Indeed, three studies (59,64,94) have reported a significant negative relationship between these two variables. Some studies have also found that elevated plasma DHEA or DHEA-S levels may be related to a favorable plasma lipid-lipoprotein profile through positive associations with the HDL-cholesterol concentration (58,64), and negative associations with total cholesterol (95). A number of studies, however, reported no significant relationships (64,93,94).…”

“…The relationship between plasma levels of the sulfate ester DHEA-S and measures of obesity is less consistent. Indeed, in eight studies performed in pre-or postmenopausal women, with samples including from 28 to 659 subjects, plasma DHEA-S levels were not significantly related to BMI or percent body fat, with the exception of one study (58) reporting a positive correlation between DHEA-S and BMI. The other studies only reported statistically non-significant trends (Table 1).…”