Left ventricular mass index and ventricular septum thickness are associated with serum dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate levels in hypertensive women

Summary objective Several data indicate that endogenous sex steroids might influence left ventricular mass. Our aim was to examine the association between dehyroepiandrosterone‐sulphate (DHEAS) levels and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and ventricular septal thickness (VST) in pre‐ and in postmenopausal women with treated essential hypertension. patients and methods LVMI and VST were related to serum DHEAS in 26 pre‐ and in 34 postmenopausal women. The associations between DHEAS and LVMI, VST were adjusted for body mass index, duration of hypertension, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol and testosterone levels using a multiple regression model. results In premenopausal women there was a significant linear correlation between DHEAS and LVMI (P < 0·02) after adjustment for confounding variables. In contrast, DHEAS was inversely correlated with LVMI and VST in postmenopausal women (r = −0·49, P