title: Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Older Men and Women: The Pro.V.A Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A large body of clinical data suggests the importance of endogenous sex hormones in the pathogenesis of diabetes, but very little is known about the possible relationship between dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and diabetes, particularly in the elderly. We aimed, therefore, to examine whether high serum levels of DHEAS have any protective effects on the incidence of type 2 diabetes and to elucidate the possible role of gender in a cohort of older subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed 1258 community-dwelling subjects aged ≥65 years without type 2 diabetes who belonged to the Progetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) for 4.4±1.2 years. DHEAS were measured at baseline and categorized into gender-specific tertiles. The incidence of type 2 diabetes was diagnosed in cases of fasting plasma glucose above 7.0 nmol/L, glycated hemoglobin ≥6.5%, use of glucose-lowering drugs or a 2-hour postload blood sugar level ≥11.1 nmol/L during the follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although no significant differences in potential risk factors for diabetes were apparent across DHEAS tertiles at the baseline in either gender, when those with lower DHEAS were taken for reference, Cox regression analysis showed that males in the highest DHEAS tertile had lower risks for being diagnosed with diabetes during the follow up (HR=0.23; 95% CI: 0.11-0.51; p<0.0001), whereas no significant differences emerged across DHEAS tertiles for females or for the sample as a whole.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher serum DHEAS levels revealed a significant protective effect against the onset of type 2 diabetes in older men but not in older women, confirming different sensitivities of type 2 diabetes to DHEAS between genders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: ilmannato@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veronese
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trevisan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rui
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bolzetta
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; Department of Medicine DIMED, ClinicaMedica I, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zambon
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care Planning and Evaluation of the Regione Veneto, Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Division, Azienda Ospedaliera, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovannella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baggio
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, 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, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: DHEAS; Elderly; SDHEA; adultes qui résident dans la communauté; community-dwelling adults; diabète de type 2; personnes âgées; type 2 diabetes