Dehydroepiandrosterone and Cardiovascular Disease

The dehydroepiandrosterone and its metabolite, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, have been for a long while at the center of interest for endocrinologists and cardiologists. Consolidated data show that the dehydroepiandrosterone and the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate present protective actions on the cardiovascular system. These actions are accomplished directly through target tissues such as endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes. At this level, they are able to activate a complex group of receptor, not completely identified, which modulate important functions such as vasodilation, antiinflammation, and antithrombosis. These data support the hypothesis that dehydroepiandrosterone could be used as drug for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease especially during aging and potentially also in addition of the common therapeutic strategy for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease recurrence. In this publication, the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on the cardiovascular system have been elucidated, starting with an analysis of the molecular action at target organ levels. In the second part, we evaluated the clinical effects of this administration, considering ultimately possible implications in introducing this hormone into clinical practice.