These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Age-related changes in 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 activity in normotensive subjects.
    Author: Campino C, Martinez-Aguayo A, Baudrand R, Carvajal CA, Aglony M, Garcia H, Padilla O, Kalergis AM, Fardella CE.
    Journal: Am J Hypertens; 2013 Apr; 26(4):481-7. PubMed ID: 23443726.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Impairment in 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2) activity results in inefficient inactivation of cortisol to cortisone, and it can trigger hypertension through activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor. Information about age-related changes in 11β-HSD2 activity and its physiological consequences is scarce. Our aim was to investigate whether 11β-HSD2 activity is age dependent in normotensive subjects. METHODS: We recruited 196 healthy, normotensive subjects. Of these, 93 were children (Group 1: aged 5-15 years), and 103 were adults who were divided according to their ages: Group 2: aged 30-41 years (n = 10); Group 3: aged 42-53 years (n = 72); and Group 4: aged 54-65 years (n = 21). Fasting serum cortisol, cortisone, aldosterone, and plasma renin activity (PRA) were measured. The 11β-HSD2 activity was estimated by the cortisol/cortisone ratio. The results were expressed as median (interquartile range (IQR)) values and compared using Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's multiple-comparison tests. RESULTS: As subject age increased, cortisol concentrations increased (Group 1 median = 8.6, IQR = 6.3-10.8 µg/dl; Group 4 median = 12.4, IQR = 10.7-14.7 µg/dl; P < 0.001), and cortisone concentrations showed a gradual decrease (Group 2 median = 4.0, IQR = 3.3-4.2 µg/dl; Group 4 median =2.8, IQR = 2.6-3.3 µg/dl; P < 0.01). As a consequence, the cortisol/cortisone ratio was higher in the oldest subjects (Group 4) than in the subjects from the other 3 groups; the ratios from Group 4 to Group 1 were 4.4 (IQR = 3.7-5.1) µg/dl, 3.3 (IQR = 2.7-3.8) µg/dl, 2.5 (IQR = 2.3-3.8) µg/dl, and 2.7 (IQR = 2.1-3.4) µg/dl, respectively (P < 0.01). The PRA decreased with age. Blood pressure levels increased with age but stayed within the normal range. CONCLUSIONS: Cortisol and the cortisol/cortisone ratio increased with age, but cortisone decreased, suggesting a decrease in 11β-HSD2 activity. These results suggest that the cortisol-mediated activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor may explain the blood pressure increase in elderly subjects.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]