title: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and Alzheimer's dementia in older subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: Section of Geriatrics, Department of Medical and Surgical Disciplines, University of Turin, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massaia
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zannella
authors.forename: Giorgetta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cappa
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.forename: Innocenzo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rainero
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arvat
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molaschi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate