The 17-ketosteroid/17-Hydroxycorticosteroid Ratio as a Useful Measure of the Physiological Age of the Human Adrenal Cortex

Obesity and the Aging of the Human Adrenal Cortex

“…We have previously suggested that the ratio 17-KS/17-OHCS may have a direct physiological significance (Abbo, 1966). The present results are also consistent with that hypothesis.…”

Weight-Lifting and Adrenal Cortex Function in Man

“…These authors suggested that this ratio might constitute a useful parameter of the physiological age of the human adrenal cortex. We have confirmed in our labor atory that this ratio of 17-KS/17-OHCS progressively declines with increasing age in healthy men ranging in age from 20 to 80 [Abbo, 1966). Furthermore, since 17-KS and 17-OHCS excretion rates depend to some extent on body weight and height [Borth, Linder and Riondel, 1957), their ratio would, to a first order of ap proximation, eliminate this dependence.…”

“…Even with this bias, there were 31 % of the subjects in the weight lifting group who had a ratio value greater than 2.30. Furthermore, if one considers the ratio value of 2.0, which is the average ratio for 20-ycar-old healthy men [Abbo, 1966), only 14% of the non-weight lifting group equalled or exceeded this ratio value, while in the weight-lifting group, 42% had a ratio value of 2.0 or greater. A Chisquare test revealed these differences to be statistically signifi cant at the 0,05 confidence level.…”