The precursor of sex hormones is a prognostic factor of male longevity
One of the steroid compounds synthesized by the adrenal glands is dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, DHEAS), a precursor that the body converts into female and male sex hormones: androgens and estrogens. The maximum level of this compound in the body is observed in the period from about 20 to 40 years, after which it drops sharply.
Animal experiments have shown that DHEAS has a number of effects that slow down the aging of the body, however, studies on the relationship between the level of DHEAS and human life expectancy have led to contradictory results.
Japanese scientists at Kurume University, working under the guidance of Dr. Mika Enomoto, in 1978 measured the level of DHEAS in the blood of 940 men and women aged 21 to 88 years and observed them for 27 years – until 2005.
At the beginning of the work, men had higher levels of DHEAS than women. In both sexes, over time, there was a decrease in the content of this compound in the body. At the same time, there was no relationship between the level of DHEAS and life expectancy in women.
At the same time, in men, low levels of DHEAS, high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels after fasting demonstrated a clear relationship with shorter life expectancy. Of these factors, DHEAS had the greatest correlation with longevity, even after eliminating the influence of glucose and blood pressure on statistical analysis.
However, differences in life expectancy associated with different levels of DHEAS began to appear only 15 years after the start of the follow-up period, which explains the inconsistency of the results of earlier studies, some of which did not reveal a relationship between the level of DHEAS and the rate of aging.
The limitations of the work include the fact that the authors did not have information about the causes of death of all study participants, as a result, they did not have the opportunity to assess the possible relationship between the level of DHEAS and the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases or other causes.
In any case, the authors take the liberty to state that the level of DHEAS in the blood of men is a strong predictor of male longevity, extending at least over a 27-year period.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru based on WorldHealth materials
26.06.2008