Heart disease help

Researchers have found that a human hormone could be used to help prevent heart disease.

The discovery, by scientists at the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, concerns the controversial hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone, which is banned in Australia but is readily available in the US as a claimed cure-all that improves memory, boosts the immune system and protects against cancer.

Maro Williams, a PhD student at the Baker Institute, said clinical trials of the hormone on 40 healthy, post-menopausal women showed it improved cardiovascular well being. The most notable of the benefits was the effect on endothelial function and the elasticity of arteries, Mr Williams said.

The endothelium is the layer of cells lining blood vessels. In people with coronary risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, it restricts the vessels' ability to dilate and contract.

Dehydroepiandrosterone improved endothelial function by increasing the ability of the arteries to dilate and we also showed that it greatly increased the elasticity of arteries," Mr Williams said. This is important because when people age their arteries stiffen, making it harder for the heart to work efficiently.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cardiovascular cause of death in Australia. It claimed more than 27,800 lives in 1998.