Impact of Prasterone on Cardiometabolic Indicators in Perimenopausal Women.

Perimenopause is the natural transition period towards menopause, in which the ovarian reserve begins to decrease, and the woman loses her fertility. It usually starts around the age of 40 and has a variable duration. It has been identified that the decrease in estrogen levels leads to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular complications, such as metabolic syndrome. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that converts to testosterone and estrogen and is mainly associated with age-related changes in cardiovascular tissues and metabolism, among others. This hormone declines with age, contributing to the development of age-related disorders, such as cardiovascular disease. In theory, DHEA has beneficial effects in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism and in ameliorating obesity. It is hypothesized that DHEAS and cardiovascular disease may share causal pathways, for example, nitric oxide synthesis and endothelial cell damage. In addition, it has been observed that the administration of DHEA significantly reduces the level of triglycerides and improves insulin sensitivity. There are few studies focused on the perimenopause stage and none of them focused on the prevention of cardiometabolic risk. Therefore, evaluating the impact of prasterone on cardiometabolic indicators in premenopausal women is essential.