Men's Health Women's Health Senior's Health Antioxidants Sports Nutrition Diet & Weight Loss Vitamins & Minerals Herbs Specialty Supplements Targeted Supplements Spa Products Anti-Aging Basics Body Systems Body Structure Book Store Pet Health My Recommendation My Favorite Articles Our Most Popular Specials Bargain Basement Brands Free Samples

MSM

Health News Archive 213 - Heart
<<back to structure/function index

DHEA(S) Supplementation Reduces Age-Related Left Ventricular Stiffness and Fibrosis

Exogenous DHEA(S) supplementation is capable of reversing age-related left ventricular stiffness and fibrosis.

"The adrenal steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated derivative [DHEA(S)] have been extensively studied for their potential anti-aging effects," investigators in the United States report.

C.M. Alwardt and colleagues, University of Arizona, wrote, "Associated with aging, DHEA levels decline in humans, whereas other adrenal hormones remain unchanged, suggesting that DHEA may be important in the aging process.

"However, the effect of DHEA(S) supplementation on cardiac function in the aged has not been investigated. Therefore, we administered to young and old female mice a 60-day treatment with exogenous DHEA(S) at a dose of 0.1 mg/ml in the drinking water and compared the effects on left ventricular diastolic function and the myocardial extracellular matrix composition."

The investigators explained, "The left ventricular stiffness (beta) was 0.30 ±0.06 mmHg/mcl in the older control mice compared with 0.17 ±0.02 mmHg/mcl in young control mice.

"Treatment with DHEA(S) decreased left ventricular stiffness to 0.12 ±0.03 mmHg/mcl in the older mice and increased left ventricular stiffness to 0.27 ±0.04 mmHg/mcl in young mice."

They added, "The mechanism for the DHEA(S)-induced changes in diastolic function appeared to be associated with altered matrix metalloproteinase activity and the percentage of collagen cross-linking."

Alwardt and coauthors concluded "exogenous DHEA(S) supplementation is capable of reversing the left ventricular stiffness and fibrosis that accompanies aging, with a paradoxical increased ventricular stiffness in young mice."

Source: American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Comparative effects of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on ventricular diastolic function with young and aged female mice. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol, 2006;290(1):R251-R256.