LONGITUDINAL CHANGES IN DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE CONCENTRATIONS IN MEN AND WOMEN

Dehydroepiandrosterone, an adrenal steroid, has many purported roles i n the body and has been used as an oral supplement in the treatment of various illnesses. Because little is known about normal changes over time in dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations, we studied the 5-year c hange in plasma dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations in 614 free-livi ng adults. Two hundred seventy-three males and 341 females had dehydro epiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations meas ured in 1989 and 1994. Demographic data were also obtained. Dehydroepi androsterone concentrations differed significantly by sex and g-year a ge group, The average decline in dehydroepiandrosterone was 5.6%/year, and the rate of decline was directly related to age but not to sex, m easures of adiposity, or serum glucose. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations differed significantly by sex and age group. The avera ge decline in the sulfated hormone was 2.0%/year and was not related t o age, sex, measures of adiposity, or serum glucose. Knowledge of the natural course of age-related changes in dehydroepiandrosterone and de hydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations is essential to our unders tanding of the relationship of dehydroepiandrosterone to chronic disea ses.