When a person suffers a heart attack that restricts blood flow to the coronary muscle (ischemia), much of the damage to heart tissue occurs, not as a result of lack of blood, but as a result of the return of blood to the affected region (reperfusion). According to the results of a recent study, DHEA may help protect against such reperfusion injury.

Rats were first given DHEA and then subjected to an ischemia-reperfusion sequence. In control rats not receiving DHEA, the muscle tissue with blood flow restriction showed a 69% reduction in functional capillary density. Total cessation (0% reflow) occurred within 24 hours.

Those animals pretreated with DHEA had a temporary 39% reduction in functional capillary density. Yet all muscle tissue remained viable at 24 hours when 100% reflow resumed. DHEA pretreatment improved the blood dynamics of muscle tissue microcirculation under ischemic stress and protected muscle tissue against reperfusion damage.

References
1. Lohman R, Yowell R, Barton S, Araneo B, Siemionow M. Dehydroepiandrosterone protects muscle flap microcirculatory hemodynamics from ischemia/reperfusion injury: an experimental in vivo study. J Trauma. 1997;42:74-80.