Higher DHEA-S (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) levels are associated with depressive symptoms during the menopausal transition: results from the PENN Ovarian Aging Study

Study answer

What this study found

DHEA-S levels were positively associated with depressive symptoms over time, both unadjusted (estimate 1.21, p=0.007) and adjusted for age, menopausal stage, race, smoking, and BMI (estimate 1.07, p=0.013). There was no association between DHEA-S and major depression (adjusted odds ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.72–1.26, p=0.72). The DHEA-S–depressive symptoms relationship persisted across baseline age groups with no significant interactions by age or race. Adding testosterone or estradiol to the model did not alter the association. Menopausal status effects showed lower depressive symptoms during…

Study & population

Longitudinal cohort study with 11 assessments over 11 years of 436 population-based premenopausal women aged 35-47 at enrollment, including African American and Caucasian participants.

Key limitation

Limitations: only women in the menopausal transition; two racial groups (African American and Caucasian); excluded antidepressant/hormonal medication users, yielding a healthier sample than other midlife cohorts; DHEA-S measured during the day (diurnal fluctuations exist but are small); cortisol not measured; PENN-5…

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Original abstract