Low hormone level linked to sexual dysfunction

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Low hormone level linked to sexual dysfunction
激素水平降低与性功能障碍有关

Menopausal women twice as likely to report problems, study finds
研究表明，更年期女性出现问题的可能性加倍

NEW YORK - Women who have particularly low levels of the hormone DHEA during menopause may be more likely to have sexual dysfunction, a new study suggests.
纽约—最新研究提示，脱氢表雄酮（DHEA）水平明显降低的更年期女性更容易发生性功能障碍。

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that among more than 300 women they followed for 3 years, sexual dysfunction became more common as women progressed through menopause. Postmenopausal women were more than twice as likely as premenopausal women to report problems like lack of interest in sex, pain or difficulty reaching orgasm.
宾西法尼亚大学的研究人员对300余名女性进行了三年随访后发现，女性进入更年期后，性功能障碍更加普遍。绝经后的女性出现缺乏性欲、性高潮疼痛或障碍的可能性为绝经前女性的2倍以上。

But there was also evidence that other factors contributed to sexual dysfunction, including the women’s levels of DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone. Women with relatively low blood levels of the hormone were 59 percent more likely to report sexual problems than those with high levels.
但是有证据表明，还有其他一些因素与性功能障碍有关，包括女性脱氢表雄酮，即DHEA激素水平。DHEA水平相对降低的女性，发生性功能障碍的可能性比DHEA水平较高女性增加59%。

Dr. Clarisa R. Gracia and colleagues report their findings in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Clarisa R Gracia博士及其同事的这一研究结果发表在《妇产科学杂志》。

DHEA is a hormone produced mainly by the adrenal gland that acts as a precursor to testosterone and estrogen. The body’s DHEA production peaks in young adulthood and gradually declines with age; because of this, supplements of synthetic DHEA are widely marketed as an anti-aging panacea.
DHEA主要由肾上腺分泌，是睾丸酮及雌激素的前体。成人期机体分泌DEHA达到高峰，此后逐渐随年龄增长而降低。因此，市场广泛应用合成DEHA补充剂作为一种抗衰老的万能药。

However, the current findings do not mean that women with sexual dysfunction should turn to the supplements, as there’s not yet any evidence that they’d help, according to the study authors.
但是研究人员称，他们的发现并不意味着有性功能障碍的女性应该服用DEHA剂，因为还没有证据表明DEHA有效。

“A randomized controlled trial assessing the safety and efficacy of (DHEA) is needed to support its use for the treatment of sexual dysfunction,” Gracia and colleagues write.
Gracia及其同事写到，有必要进行一项随机的对照试验，以评价DHEA的安全性及有效性，从而证明其是否可用于性功能障碍的治疗。

The study included 311 women who were between the ages of 35 and 47 at the outset. Once a year, the researchers took blood samples from the women to measure various hormone concentrations. They also questioned the women about their health, menstrual cycles and sex lives.
这一研究包括了311名女性，研究开始时年龄35至47岁。每年，研究人员采集这些女性的血样，检测不同的激素浓度，同时询问她们的健康状况、月经周期以及性生活情况。

Overall, Gracia’s team found, one-third of the women had some degree of sexual dysfunction by the end of the 3-year study period.
总体上，Gracia’s研究小组发现，在这项为期三年的研究结束之时，三分之一的女性有不同程度的性功能障碍。

Women with relatively low DHEA levels were at greater risk, as were those with anxiety symptoms and those who lacked a regular sex partner. Women who had children younger than 18 living with them were also more likely to report sexual problems.
DHEA水平相对较低、有焦虑症以及缺乏固定性伙伴的女性风险更高。与小于18岁的孩子同居的女性，也更容易出现性功能障碍。

The findings, according to Gracia’s team, confirm that sexual dysfunction becomes more common as women move through menopause, and that hormones may be one of several factors that play a role.
Gracia’s研究组称，他们的发现证实，性功能障碍更多见于女性更年期时，激素也许是众多作用因素之一。

They call for more research to understand the various reasons for women’s sexual dysfunction so that effective therapies can be developed.
他们呼吁进行更多的研究来探讨引起女性性功能障碍的各种原因，从而开发有效的治疗方案。