Abstract
Background: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its interconvertible sulfate ester, DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S), mainly produced by the adrenal glands, are progressively decreased with aging and are proven markers of longevity. Although serum level of DHEA (-S) has been shown to be decreased in dementing diseases, the issue remains controversial. We investigated the physiological significance of DHEA-S in oldest old Japanese women in respect of activities of daily living (ADL) or cognitive activities. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 50 women aged 90–103 years old. Serum concentrations of DHEA-S levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. ADL and cognitive activity were evaluated by the Bathel index and revised Hasegawa’s dementia rating scale (HDS-R), respectively. Univariate or multivariate regression analyzes were used for statistics. Results: Of the 50 subjects, 80% exceeded the lowest level of the normal range for women in their forties. Serum concentrations of DHEA-S were significantly correlated with HDS-R but not with the Barthel index. Conclusion: Relatively higher levels of serum DHEA-S in oldest old women may reflect the longevity of this population and the levels might be associated with cognitive activity rather than ADL.
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