Evidence for an Association Between Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate and Nonfatal, Premature Myocardial Infarction in Males

Background Several studies indicate that endogenous hor-mones play a role in the etiology of coronary artery disease, either as independent risk factors or indirectly, via an effect on lipids, lipoproteins, or other heart disease risk factors. Methods and Results The relation between endogenous hormone levels and premature (<56-year-old patients) myo-cardial infarction was assessed in a retrospective study involv-ing 49 male survivors of premature myocardial infarction and 49 age-matched, volunteer male controls. Serum samples were obtained for each subject the morning after a 212-hour fast and frozen at-70°C for subsequent hormonal analysis. Among the male patients, the average duration between the most recent myocardial infarction and blood sampling was 3.4 years (range, 0.7 to 19.2 years). Individuals reporting the use of any medications with the potential to alter lipid, lipoprotein