Associations of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Prepubertal Children

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 103; no. 7; pp. 2592 - 2600
• Main Authors: Mäntyselkä, Aino, Lindi, Virpi, Viitasalo, Anna, Eloranta, Aino-Maija, Ågren, Jyrki, Väisänen, Sari, Voutilainen, Raimo, Laitinen, Tomi, Lakka, Timo A, Jääskeläinen, Jarmo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Copyright Oxford University Press 01.07.2018; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Birth Weight; Body Composition; Body fat; Body Mass Index; Body weight; C-Reactive Protein; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Child; Children; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate - blood; Female; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Insulin; Lean body mass; Low birth weight; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Metabolic Diseases - etiology; Overweight; Physical activity; Population studies; Puberty, Precocious - etiology; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-00184

Premature adrenarche (PA) has been associated with overweight and insulin resistance, but the associations of serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) concentration with other cardiometabolic risk factors are uncertain. To examine the associations of serum DHEAS concentration with several cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Cross-sectional data from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study. Population sample of 207 girls and 225 boys aged 7.6 ± 0.4 years. Cardiometabolic risk factors by serum DHEAS concentration. DHEAS correlated positively with body mass index standard deviation score, body fat percentage, lean body mass, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) when adjusted for age and sex. The associations of DHEAS with hs-CRP and ALT disappeared when adjusted also for body fat percentage. When further adjusted for birth weight SD score, DHEAS correlated negatively with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and LDL/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio. LDL cholesterol was lower in children with DHEAS ≥40 µg/dL than in those with DHEAS <40 µg/dL, adjusted for age, sex, and body fat percentage (86.5 vs 92.3 mg/dL, P = 0.029). This association strengthened after further adjustment for birth weight SD score (85.3 vs 92.3 mg/dL, P = 0.012). Higher DHEAS is not associated with an increased cardiometabolic risk in prepubertal children. Instead, it may be protective, evidenced by an association with lower LDL cholesterol and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio. The increased cardiometabolic risk in PA shown in many studies may be due to low birth weight and childhood overweight associated with PA.