Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and Alzheimer's dementia in older subjects

✍ Scribed by Mario Bo; Massimiliano Massaia; Patrizia Zannella; Giorgetta Cappa; Ermanno Ferrario; Innocenzo Rainero; Emanuela Arvat; Roberta Giordano; Mario Molaschi

• Book ID: 102224746
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 101 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/gps.1608

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Objectives and Methods

We investigated the association of serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA‐S) levels with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) and impairment in selected cognitive domains (memory, language, attention and working memory) in 158 patients (75.5 ± 6.7 years, 46 men) with first‐diagnosed probable DAT and in 158 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. As secondary goal, we evaluated whether DHEA‐S baseline levels were associated with cumulative 6‐year mortality.

Results

A negative correlation between DHEA‐S levels and age was observed (R = −0.25, p < 0.001). Age‐stratified analysis did not show significant differences of DHEA‐S levels between DAT patients and controls. No significant association was found between DHEA‐S levels and impairment in selected cognitive domains. Cox regression analysis showed that baseline DHEA‐S levels were not associated with cumulative 6‐year mortality.

Conclusions

In a sample of newly‐diagnosed DAT patients, we did not find significant association between presence of DAT or impairment in cognitive domains and DHEA‐S levels; baseline DHEA‐S levels are not associated with cumulative mortality in patients and controls. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.