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Precipitous Dehydroepiandrosterone Declines Reflect Decreased Physical Vitality and Function.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rendina, DN; Ryff, CD; Coe, CL
Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
June 2017

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form, DHEA-S, peak in young adulthood and then decrease dramatically with age. However, there is extensive variation in this age-related hormone decline, suggesting an early decrement may be associated with lower vitality and be prognostic of poor health in old age. To determine whether DHEA-S and DHEA are correlated with physical indices of vitality, hormone levels were analyzed with respect to clinical health histories, physical functioning including grip strength, gait speed and repetitive standing, and self-reported chronic pain. The participants (N = 1,214) were 35-86 years of age from a nationally representative survey, Midlife Development in the United States. DHEA-S and DHEA below age-expected levels were associated with more chronic illness conditions and self-reported persistent pain and pain sensitivity upon manual palpation. Additionally, lower DHEA-S and DHEA correlated with poorer performance on tests of physical functioning by middle age suggesting a more precipitous decline is already indicative of reduced vigor and physical strength. When considered with respect to age- and gender-typical norms, larger decrements in DHEA-S and DHEA may be causally related to the loss of physical vitality. Conversely, when hormone secretion is sustained in older adults, it conveys reduced risk for the physical weakness and ailments that precede frailty.

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Published In

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences

DOI

EISSN

1758-535X

ISSN

1079-5006

Publication Date

June 2017

Volume

72

Issue

6

Start / End Page

747 / 753

Related Subject Headings

  • Walking Speed
  • Self Report
  • Pain Measurement
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Surveys
  • Health Status
  • Hand Strength
  • Gerontology
 

Citation

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Rendina, D. N., Ryff, C. D., & Coe, C. L. (2017). Precipitous Dehydroepiandrosterone Declines Reflect Decreased Physical Vitality and Function. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 72(6), 747–753. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glw135
Rendina, Danielle N., Carol D. Ryff, and Christopher L. Coe. “Precipitous Dehydroepiandrosterone Declines Reflect Decreased Physical Vitality and Function.The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 72, no. 6 (June 2017): 747–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glw135.
Rendina DN, Ryff CD, Coe CL. Precipitous Dehydroepiandrosterone Declines Reflect Decreased Physical Vitality and Function. The journals of gerontology Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 2017 Jun;72(6):747–53.
Rendina, Danielle N., et al. “Precipitous Dehydroepiandrosterone Declines Reflect Decreased Physical Vitality and Function.The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, vol. 72, no. 6, June 2017, pp. 747–53. Epmc, doi:10.1093/gerona/glw135.
Rendina DN, Ryff CD, Coe CL. Precipitous Dehydroepiandrosterone Declines Reflect Decreased Physical Vitality and Function. The journals of gerontology Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 2017 Jun;72(6):747–753.
Journal cover image

Published In

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences

DOI

EISSN

1758-535X

ISSN

1079-5006

Publication Date

June 2017

Volume

72

Issue

6

Start / End Page

747 / 753

Related Subject Headings

  • Walking Speed
  • Self Report
  • Pain Measurement
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Health Surveys
  • Health Status
  • Hand Strength
  • Gerontology