Nicola Veronese1, Marina De Rui2, Francesco Bolzetta2, Sabina Zambon3, Maria Chiara Corti4, Giovannella Baggio5, Elena Debora Toffanello2, Gaetano Crepaldi6, Egle Perissinotto7, Enzo Manzato8, Giuseppe Sergi2. 1. Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: ilmannato@gmail.com. 2. Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 3. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; National Research Council, Aging Branch, Institute of Neuroscience, Padova, Italy. 4. Azienda Unità Locale Socio Sanitaria (ULSS) 16, Padova, Italy. 5. Internal Medicine Division, Azienda Ospedaliera, Padova, Italy. 6. National Research Council, Aging Branch, Institute of Neuroscience, Padova, Italy. 7. Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 8. Department of Medicine DIMED, Geriatrics Division, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; National Research Council, Aging Branch, Institute of Neuroscience, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) appears to have a protective effect against depression, but contrasting findings are available. Therefore, we investigated whether high serum DHEAS levels were associated with any protective effect on incident depression and incident severe depression in a representative group of elderly men and women. METHODS: In a population-based cohort longitudinal study in the general community, 789 older participants without depression and cognitive impairment at the baseline were included, among 3,099 screened subjects. Serum DHEAS levels were determined based on blood samples; incident depression and severe depression were diagnosed by means of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and confirmed by geriatricians skilled in psychogeriatric medicine. RESULTS: No baseline differences were found in GDS across age- and gender-specific tertiles of serum DHEAS. Over 4.4 years of follow-up, 137 new cases of depression were recorded. Of them, 35 among men and 64 in women were cases of incident severe depression. Cox's regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders, revealed that higher DHEAS levels were associated with reduced risk of incident depression irrespective of gender (HR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.09-0.96; Wald χ(2) = 4.09; df = 1; p = 0.04; women: HR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.14-0.69; Wald χ(2) = 8.37; df = 1; p = 0.004) and of severe incident depression only in men (HR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.06-0.99; Wald χ(2) = 4.05; df = 1; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Higher serum DHEAS levels were found to be significantly protective for the onset of depression irrespective of gender, whereas only in men was this association found also for incident severe depression.
OBJECTIVE:Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) appears to have a protective effect against depression, but contrasting findings are available. Therefore, we investigated whether high serum DHEAS levels were associated with any protective effect on incident depression and incident severe depression in a representative group of elderly men and women. METHODS: In a population-based cohort longitudinal study in the general community, 789 older participants without depression and cognitive impairment at the baseline were included, among 3,099 screened subjects. Serum DHEAS levels were determined based on blood samples; incident depression and severe depression were diagnosed by means of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and confirmed by geriatricians skilled in psychogeriatric medicine. RESULTS: No baseline differences were found in GDS across age- and gender-specific tertiles of serum DHEAS. Over 4.4 years of follow-up, 137 new cases of depression were recorded. Of them, 35 among men and 64 in women were cases of incident severe depression. Cox's regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounders, revealed that higher DHEAS levels were associated with reduced risk of incident depression irrespective of gender (HR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.09-0.96; Wald χ(2) = 4.09; df = 1; p = 0.04; women: HR: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.14-0.69; Wald χ(2) = 8.37; df = 1; p = 0.004) and of severe incident depression only in men (HR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.06-0.99; Wald χ(2) = 4.05; df = 1; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Higher serum DHEAS levels were found to be significantly protective for the onset of depression irrespective of gender, whereas only in men was this association found also for incident severe depression.
Authors: Daniel J Tobiansky; Kathryn G Wallin-Miller; Stan B Floresco; Ruth I Wood; Kiran K Soma Journal: Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) Date: 2018-06-05 Impact factor: 5.555
Authors: Luis H Souza-Teodoro; Cesar de Oliveira; Kate Walters; Livia A Carvalho Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology Date: 2015-11-12 Impact factor: 4.905