title: Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and osteoarthritis in older people: the Pro.V.A. study.
abstract: Although osteoarthritis (OA) and low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) are common in the elderly, no studies on human beings are available concerning the possible relationship between them. We aimed to examine the relationship between DHEAS levels and any presence of OA in a cohort of community-dwelling older subjects. This study was part of the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.), an Italian population-based cohort study on people over 65 years old. In this cross-sectional work, we considered 2050 individuals with a mean age of 74.2 ± 7.1 years (818 M and 1232 F), and with a complete set of information on OA and DHEAS levels. OA was defined using a standardized algorithm investigating disease history, medical records, symptoms, use of analgesic drugs for OA, and physical examination of the hand, hip, and knee. DHEAS levels were classified using gender-specific tertiles. OA at the three sites investigated was significantly more common in women than in men, and in individuals with lower serum DHEAS concentrations. On logistic regression analysis, taking those in the highest DHEAS tertile for reference and adjusting for potential confounders, subjects in the lowest tertile had significantly higher odds of OA involving the hand (men: OR = 1.49; 95 % CI 1.31-1.70, women: 1.28; 95 % CI 1.16-1.41), hip (men: 1.55; 95 % CI 1.33-1.81; women: 1.17; 95 % CI 1.06-1.30), and knee (men: 1.54; 95 % CI 1.35-1.76; women: 1.31 95 % CI 1.19-1.45). Similar findings emerged for individuals in the intermediate DHEAS tertile. Low DHEAS levels are associated with OA, irrespective of site and gender.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2-35128, Padova, Italy. ilmannato@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veronese
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noale
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2-35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trevisan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2-35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rui
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2-35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bolzetta
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.|Department of Medicine (DIMED), Clinica Medica I, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zambon
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Clinica Medica I, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Clinica Medica I, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Estella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Musacchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Egle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perissinotto
authors.affiliation: National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crepaldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2-35128, Padova, Italy.|National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manzato
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2-35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
keywords: Community-dwelling adults; DHEAS; Elderly; Osteoarthritis