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Endogenous Levels of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate, but Not Other Sex Hormones, Are Associated with Depressed Mood in Older Women: The Rancho Bernardo Study
Author(s) -
BarrettConnor Elizabeth,
Mühlen Denise,
Laughlin Gail A.,
Kripke Adrianna
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1999.tb01590.x
Subject(s) - medicine , dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate , mood , testosterone (patch) , dehydroepiandrosterone , endocrinology , hormone , gerontology , androgen , psychiatry
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether endogenous steroid hormone levels are associated with depressed mood in community‐dwelling older women. DESIGN: A cross‐sectional population‐based study. SETTING: Rancho Bernardo, California PARTICIPANTS: A total of 699 non‐estrogen using, community‐dwelling, postmenopausal women (aged 50 to 90 years) from the Rancho Bernardo cohort who were 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) estradiol and testosterone, estrone, androstenedione, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS) were measured by radioimmunoassay. 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 activity, and weight change ( P = .0002). Age, sedentary lifestyle, and weight loss were positively associated with depressed mood. Alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, marital status, type of menopause, and season of testing were unassociated with depressed mood. A subset of 31 women with categorically defined depression had lower DHEAS levels compared with 93 age‐matched nondepressed women (1.17 ± 1.08 vs 1.57 ± .98 μmol/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 DHEA therapy in older women with depressed mood. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:685–691, 1999.