Endogenous levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, but not other sex hormones, are associated with depressed mood in older women: The Rancho Bernardo study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether endogenous st eroid hormone levels are associated with depressed mood in community-dwelli ng older women. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based study. SETTING: Rancho Bernardo, California PARTICIPANTS: A total of 699 non-estrogen using, community-dwelling, postme nopausal women (aged 50 to 90 years) from the Rancho Bernardo cohort who we re screened for depressed mood and had plasma obtained for steroid hormone assays in 1984-1987. MEASUREMENTS: Plasma levels of total and bioavailable (non-SHBG-bound) estr adiol and testosterone, estrone, androstenedione, cortisol, dehydroepiandro sterone, and (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS) were measured by radioimmunoass ay. Mood and depression were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: Only DHEAS levels were significantly and inversely associated with depressed mood, and the association was independent of age, physical activ ity, and weight change (P = .0002). Age, sedentary lifestyle, and weight lo ss were positively associated with depressed mood. Alcohol intake, cigarett e smoking, marital status, type of menopause, and season of testing were un associated with depressed mood. A subset of 31 women with categorically def ined depression had lower DHEAS levels compared with 93 age-matched nondepr essed women (1.17 +/- 1.08 vs 1.57 +/- .98 mu mol/L; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: These results add to the evidence that DHEA/S is a neuroactive steroid and point to the need for careful long-term clinical trials of DHE A therapy in older women with depressed mood.