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Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA)

Specific Recommendations:

• Pure Encapulations 7-Keto DHEA at Amazon.com
• DHEA at Amazon.com

• Aromatization / I3C / DIM / Chrysin

7-Keto DHEA:

• Pure Encapsulations - 7-Keto DHEA (100mg) - 60ct
• 7-Keto DHEA The Fat-Burning Metabolite of DHEA - Life Extension Magazine, 5/05 - "By offering many of the advantages of DHEA supplementation without conversion to estrogen and testosterone, 7-Keto affords older adults the opportunity to further promote their health and longevity even when their levels of the so-called “downstream” hormones are already optimal. Moreover, considering 7-Keto’s demonstrated ability to improve body composition, it is highly likely that this DHEA metabolite will become a staple supplement for many aging adults"
• The Death of Anti-Aging Supplements? - Life Extension Magazine, 3/03 - "During these many trials, researchers routinely found that when taken daily, DHEA supplements effectively reduced depressive episodes and enhanced mood. In fact, according to one major study in the UK, as many as 67% of men and 82% of women reported a noticeable decrease in their depressive symptoms while taking as little as 25 mg/day of DHEA ... DHEA is recognized as one of the major adrenal androgens, and many of its abilities have been well-documented. We have learned through years of research that it enhances the immune system, fights osteoporosis, lowers hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and may even help to mount a defense against HIV"
• Biotransformation of oral dehydroepiandrosterone in elderly men: significant increase in circulating estrogens - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999 Jun;84(6):2170-6 - "Serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone remained unchanged after DHEA administration. In contrast, 17beta-estradiol and estrone significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner to concentrations still within the upper normal range for men [placebo vs. 50 mg DHEA vs. 100 mg DHEA; AUC 0-12 h for 17beta-estradiol, 510 +/- 198 vs. 635 +/- 156 vs. 700 +/- 209 pmol/L x h (P < 0.0001); AUC 0-12 h for estrone, 1443 +/- 269 vs. 2537 +/- 434 vs. 3254 +/- 671 pmol/L x h (P < 0.0001)]" - That's a 40% increase in the bad estrogen!!!  On top of that, if you are taking testosterone, that increases estrogen also.  See aromatization.

Other News:

• Randomized Controlled Study of the Effects of DHEA on the Outcome of IVF in Endometriosis - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2021 Oct 14 - "DHEA can significantly increase serum E2 level and improve IVF outcome by regulating the hormone synthesis process, thus improving oocyte and embryo quality" - See Pure Encapulations 7-Keto DHEA at Amazon.com.
• The Week That Wasn't: Reverse Aging, Lyme Test, Apple Health Studies - Medscape, 9/13/19 - "After a year of taking the recombinant human growth hormone dehydroepiandrosterone and metformin, men in a small clinical trial showed a decrease in scores of epigenetic age based on DNA methylation ... his is to our knowledge the first report of an increase, based on an epigenetic age estimator, in predicted human lifespan by means of a currently accessible aging intervention"
• Sex-specific effects of DHEA on bone mineral density and body composition - Science Daily, 12/4/18 - "Combining DHEA therapy with resistance exercise that imparts mechanical strain to bone may promote greater increases in muscle mass and BMD compared to either intervention alone," stated Jankowski. "The beneficial effects of DHEA replacement on body composition are to modestly increase fat-free mass in women and decrease fat mass in older men, a reversal of the usual age-related trends in muscle and fat."
• DHEA Improves Sexual Function in Some Premenopausal Women - Medscape, 10/10/18 - "Androgen supplementation with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) significantly improves sexual function in premenopausal, infertile women with poor sexual function ... assessed 50 premenopausal women who were older (average age, 41 years) and seeking treatment for infertility ... oral DHEA 75 mg once daily ... In the study cohort, mean FSFI score increased by 7%, with scores for desire, arousal, and lubrication increasing by 17%, 12%, and 8%, respectively. There were no changes in scores on the orgasm, satisfaction, or pain domains ... However, women whose FSFI scores were in the lowest quartile at baseline saw the greatest benefit, with an average increase of 34% ... And improvement was seen in all domains of sexual functioning for these women. Increases were 40% for desire, 46% for arousal, 33% for lubrication, 54% for orgasm, 24% for satisfaction, and 25% for pain" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.
• Efficacy of Intravaginal Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on Moderate to Severe Dyspareunia and Vaginal Dryness, Symptoms of Vulvovaginal Atrophy, and of the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause - Medscape, 3/22/16 - "The daily intravaginal administration of 0.50% (6.5 mg) DHEA (Prasterone) has shown clinically and highly statistically significant effects on the four coprimary parameters suggested by the US Food and Drug Administration. The strictly local action of Prasterone is in line with the absence of significant drug-related adverse events, thus showing the high benefit-to-risk ratio of this treatment based upon the novel understanding of the physiology of sex steroids in women"
• Intravaginal DHEA Eases Postmenopausal Vaginal Dryness, Pain - Medscape, 1/6/16 - "unlike lubricants and moisturizers, it actually corrects the problem ... Gynecologists saw 86% to 121% improvements in vaginal secretions, lining thickness, and tissue color in the women who used DHEA" - [Abstract]
• Effect of DHEA-S on Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Women: Abstract and Introduction - Medscape, 10/12/12 - "Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate replacement produced weight loss in the obese women studied. Moreover, waist circumference, glucose and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, among other metabolic syndrome parameters, improved in the postmenopausal group, who showed a significant reduction in the total metabolic syndrome score (P < 0.05). In contrast, in premenopausal women, the effect of DHEA-S was limited to obesity parameters, and no effect was observed on metabolic syndrome components. No significant changes were evident in the placebo group"
• Lower DHEA in Elderly Linked to Cardiovascular Events - Medscape, 6/27/12 - "Elderly men with decreased levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) show increased rates of major cardiovascular events, even after adjustment for other traditional cardiovascular risk factors ... The men were all were participants in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sweden study, a long-term project that is evaluating risk factors for various diseases ... Those in the lowest quartile of both DHEA and DHEA-S, compared with men in quartiles 2 through 4 of both, showed a higher risk for any major cardiovascular events (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06 - 1.70), coronary heart disease (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.05 - 1.89), and cerebrovascular events (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.00 - 1.99)"
• Menopause pill may boost sex life - USATODAY.com, 12/20/11 - "This is the first evidence that low doses of DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, can help sexual function as well as menopausal symptoms ... women taking DHEA had a statistically significant increase in sexual interest and activity, with similar results for women in the HRT group. Sexual activity was also higher among the women taking tiboline, but the increase was not statistically significant"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Combined with Exercise Improves Muscle Strength and Physical Function in Frail Older Women - Medscape, 11/10/10 - "The current study found an improvement in strength and function with DHEA supplementation, but exercise, even at low intensity, may have been a requisite for this effect, as others have found in nonfrail subjects ... DHEA supplementation increased the concentration of all sex hormones studied, indicating a good therapeutic response. DHEAS levels increased five times, equal to those seen in a typical young adult[44] and similar to increases seen in other studies of older adults using 50-mg/d supplementation with DHEA.[10,12,17,18,20,32,45] Other studies have reported increases in estrogen and testosterone levels similar to those reported here.[10,17,18,45] The increases in estradiol and estrone levels reached those seen in premenopausal women, and the levels of testosterone were greater than in premenopausal women"
• Dihydrotestosterone May Not Affect Prostate Growth But May Reduce BMD - Medscape, 11/16/10
• Increasing fertility threefold with DHEA? - Science Daily, 7/1/10 - "women being treated for infertility who also received supplements of DHEA were three times more likely to conceive than women being treated without the additional drug ... The latter group took 75mg of the supplement daily for 40 days before starting fertility treatments, and continued for up to five months ... In the DHEA group, there was a 23% live birth rate as opposed to a 4% rate in the control group ... More than that, of the pregnancies in the DHEA group, all but one ended in healthy deliveries"
• A Stronger Backbone: DHEA Hormone Replacement Increases Bone Density In Older Women - Science Daily, 5/17/09 - "Taking a DHEA supplement combined with vitamin D and calcium can significantly improve spinal bone density in older women ... The effects of the treatment differed for men and women. After the first year, women in the test group experienced an approximate 2 percent increase in bone density, while women in the control group did not see an increase. After the second year when both groups took the DHEA supplement, women in the test group experienced an additional 2 percent increase for a total of approximately 4 percent, while women who switched from placebo to DHEA also experienced an approximate 2 percent increase ... The same treatment, however, did not offer similar benefits for older men"
• New Lab Evidence Suggests Preventive Effect Of Herbal Supplement In Prostate Cancer - Science Daily, 2/23/09 - "Combining DHEA with transforming growth factor beta-1 increased testosterone production in the stromal cells and prostate specific antigen protein secretion two to four-fold and gene expression up to 50-fold in the cancer cells. When these cell cultures were treated with red clover isoflavones, the androgenic effects of DHEA were reversed" - See Trinovin (for men), Promensil (for women) at Amazon.com.
• DHEAS Levels Linked to Cognitive Function in Women - Medscape, 3/13/07 - "There are data that suggest that DHEA and DHEAS may have neuroprotective effects and that the decline in the production of these steroids with healthy aging may contribute to neuronal dysfunction and degeneration, and thus cognitive decline ... women with higher circulating levels of DHEAS performed better on executive function tests. A positive association was also observed between circulating DHEAS and higher scores on tests of simple concentration and working memory in women with more than 12 years of education"
• DHEA Restores Oxidative Balance in Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 12/11/07 - "DHEA significantly reduced oxidative stress parameters in both plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the report indicates, and its administration was followed by a 50% decrease in levels of pentosidine (a marker of AGE formation)"
• Menopause tied to sexual dysfunction - MSNBC, 4/9/07 - "Women who have particularly low levels of the hormone DHEA during menopause may be more likely to have sexual dysfunction ... Women with relatively low blood levels of the hormone were 59 percent more likely to report sexual problems than those with high levels"
• Report: Why Dhea May Be The Best-Validated Anti-Aging Supplement - Life Extension Magazine, 11/06 - "The DHEA-treated subjects required significantly higher amounts of glucose to raise their blood sugar levels, demonstrating markedly improved insulin sensitivity ... DHEA is not for everyone—people with hormone-dependent cancers such as breast, uterine, and prostate cancers should avoid its use. However, an abundance of new studies suggests that ensuring optimal levels of this vital “prohormone” can help aging adults guard against endothelial dysfunction, vascular disease, metabolic syndrome, bone loss, and other debilitating conditions once thought to be the “inevitable” consequences of aging"
• Popular Anti-aging Supplement Has No Beneficial Effects, Mayo Clinic Study Finds - Science Daily, 10/19/06 - "For almost two years we restored DHEA in older men and women to the high normal levels that are usually observed in young people, but found no beneficial effects on age-related changes in body composition and function"
• Anabolic Hormone Deficiencies in HF - Medscape, 10/13/06 - "The finding suggests a potential for measurements of serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to sharpen HF risk assessments ... The investigators showed "strong associations" between the hormone deficiencies and HF status"
• DHEA Supplements - ConsumerLab.com, 9/13/06
• DHEA May Be Effective for Depression Associated With HIV - Medscape, 1/24/06 - "DHEA is a weakly active adrenal androgen that serves as a precursor to testosterone and estradiol, which are hormones that can have a positive effect on mood when administered exogenously. In addition, the authors of the current study describe that DHEA increases the amount of available insulin-like growth factor, which in turn can increase levels of growth hormone. Growth hormone deficiency has also been linked with depressed mood. Finally, DHEA may modulate inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, which may be related to depressed mood"
• Cortisol, Stress, and Health - Life Extension Magazine, 12/05 - "Supplements to reduce high cortisol levels secondary to stress ... Vitamin C: 1000-3000 mg/day ... Fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids):1-4 gm/day ... Phosphatidylserine: 300-800 mg/day ... Rhodiola rosea: 100-200 mg/day, standardized extract ... Ginseng: 100-300 mg/day, standardized extract ... Ginkgo biloba: 100-200 mg/day, standardized extract ... DHEA: 25-50 mg/day (any hormone supplementation should be monitored by your physician)"
• Does Replacing DHEA Improve Insulin Sensitivity? - Physician's Weekly, 5/16/05 - "DHEA replacement “significantly increased [sulfated ester of DHEA], bioavailable testosterone, and androstenedione and reduced sex hormone–binding globulin levels.” The DHEA group also had lower fasting plasma insulin and glucagon levels. “DHEA also [significantly] reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol,”"
• DHEA May Help Midlife Depression - WebMD, 2/7/05 - "treatment with DHEA resulted in a 50% reduction in depression symptoms in half the participants ... Treatment with the supplement was associated with an increase in testosterone blood levels in both men and women ... Taking DHEA for 6 weeks also significantly improved sexual function scores"
• Abdominal Fat Decreases, Insulin Action Improves When Elderly Take Hormone - Science Daily, 11/17/04
• Hormone Protects Against Diseases of Aging - WebMD, 11/9/04 - "The elderly people in the study took 50 mg a day of DHEA ... Six months later, the DHEA group showed significant reductions in abdominal obesity (10% fat reduction around organs in the abdominal cavity among women and 7.4% among men) and improvements in insulin action or a decrease in insulin resistance"
• Increase in DHEA May Help Decrease Abdominal Fat in Elderly Persons - Doctor's Guide, 11/9/04 - "DHEA replacement therapy induced significant decreases in both visceral fat (within the abdomen) and subcutaneous abdominal fat (below the skin surface) in elderly men and women. "The decrease in visceral fat relative to initial values averaged 10.2 percent in the women and 7.4 percent in the men. The DHEA therapy also resulted in a significant decrease in abdominal subcutaneous fat, averaging approximately 6 percent in both the men and women"
• Stress-Busting Help Comes From Hormone - WebMD, 8/2/04 - "The people who reported fewer symptoms and who performed best at their military tasks had "significantly higher" levels of the hormone DHEA-S compared with cortisol" [Abstract]
• DHEA Sulphate Levels May Signify Low Libido - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/04
• DHEA Supplementation Linked to Improved Quality of Life in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Doctor's Guide, 6/15/04 - "Their partners reported greater responses to the "gets more done" question compared to placebo ... DHEA replacement decreased high-density lipid (HDL) cholesterol, and it increased insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and haematocrit"
• DHEA Improves Quality of Life in Women With SLE - Medscape, 6/14/04
• Clinical Update on Benefits of DHEA - A4M, 4/6/04 - "Recently, researchers discovered important anti-inflammatory properties of DHEA. It was known that DHEA can lower the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)"
• DHEA Relieves Postmenopausal Symptoms - Healthwell Exchange Daily News, 3/18/04 - "DHEA supplementation can increase hormone levels in postmenopausal women toward premenopausal levels. They further suggest that women’s quality of life may be improved by DHEA supplementation after menopause. The increases in estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA levels observed in this study were 20 to 45% less than those observed in studies using 50 mg of DHEA per day, leading some to suggest that 25 mg per day might be a safer amount to use as a supplement"
• Supplement May Be Linked to Prostate Growth - WebMD, 3/10/04
• DHEA Linked To Early Signs Of Atherosclerosis - Intelihealth, 12/9/03
• Low-Dose DHEA Increases Androgen, Estrogen Levels in Menopause - Medscape, 12/12/03 - "Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone plasma levels, and plasma E1 and E2 levels increased significantly and progressively in both groups ... Cortisol F plasma levels progressively decreased throughout the study. Both groups also experienced significantly reduced LH and FSH plasma levels. GH and IGF-1 levels significantly increased in both groups. Supplementation did not induce changes in endometrial thickness ... These data support and confirm that DHEA must be considered a valid compound and drug for [hormone therapy] in postmenopausal women and not just a 'dietary supplement"
• FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation For Fidelin (DHEA), Treatment For Adrenal Insufficiency - Doctor's Guide, 8/29/03
• DHEA May Fight Heart Disease, But How? - WebMD, 7/23/03 - "Endothelial dysfunction is known to contribute to atherosclerosis or ... men who received 25 mg per day of DHEA supplements for 12 weeks experienced significant improvement in endothelial function as well as insulin sensitivity compared with those who took a placebo" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.
• Disappointing Data Confound Claims For DHEA Effectiveness [against Alzheimer's] - Psychiatric News, 6/6/03 - "Twenty-eight patients were blindly chosen to receive 50 mg of DHEA twice a day for six months ... The dose of DHEA, Wolkowtiz said, was targeted to achieve blood levels of the hormone at or slightly above the top of the normal range of DHEA levels found in healthy young adults ... numerically, DHEA did have a benefit on cognitive ratings, but overall, on the CIBIC-Plus, there was no significant benefit shown ... at three months, the DHEA group, compared with placebo, showed a trend toward improvement on the ADAS-Cog, but the improvement only narrowly missed being statistically significant ... DHEA has been reported to reduce cortisol, the so-called "stress hormone," which in response to stress is released in large quantities that have been linked to neuronal stress and damage" -  Does anyone detect bias in that title?  I don't know if DHEA helps Alzheimer's or not but I feel the title should have been something like "Alzheimer's Shows Trend Toward Improvement with DHEA at 3 Months".  Their attitude seems to be that nothing works except what we write prescriptions for.  The way I understand it, Alzheimer's usually gets worse, not better and cholinesterase inhibitors slow the disease, they don't reverse it and three months is a short time to determine if it is working.  See DHEA at Amazon.com.
• DHEA Beneficial for People with Schizophrenia - New Hope Natural Media, 4/24/03
• Some DHEA Supplements Are Better than Others - New Hope Natural Media, 3/6/03
• DHEA Augmentation Improves Schizophrenic Symptoms - Medscape, 2/13/03 - "In humans, DHEA has demonstrated efficacy in the improvement of mood, with increased energy, interest, confidence, and activity levels in various populations ... DHEA demonstrates potent neuroprotective qualities and plays an important role in neurodevelopment"
• Some DHEA Pills Don't Live Up to Label - WebMD, 12/11/02
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Reduces Flares in Mild-to-Moderate Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Doctor's Guide, 12/6/02
• Testosterone Deficiency & Depression, Does DHEA Raise the Levels of Bioavailable Testosterone in Men? - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "a well-controlled study published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology and Metabolism did in fact find a significant rise in free testosterone in men aged 60 to 84 years, after three months on 100 mg of DHEA"
• The Benefits of Carnitine and DHEA for Fat Metabolism - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "Carnitine is an amino acid that's critical for converting fatty acids into fuel. Because of this, it has the potential to help people lose weight ... A lack of DHEA may be one of the primary causes of insulin resistance"
• Cover Story: DHEA and Anti-aging Medicine - Life Extension Magazine, 6/02 - "The aging process is inextricably tied to a decrease in beneficial hormones, such as growth hormone, thyroid and DHEA, and an increase in hormones whose elevated levels are clearly harmful, such as insulin and cortisol"
• Low Dose DHEA Proves Effective in Treating Physical And Mental Conditions of Hypopituitarism - Doctor's Guide, 5/6/02 - "the women who took DHEA showed increased initiative, stamina, alertness and sexual relations. During the open treatment period, all of the women being treated with DHEA showed an increase in sexual interest and activity ... Women in the study also experienced several physical changes from the DHEA treatments. These changes included alterations in the skin's oiliness, moisture and elasticity (53 percent); increased perspiration during physical activity (63 percent); increases in axillary and/or pubic hair (76 percent); and increased handgrip strength"
• Mountain Life May Make Women Age Faster - WebMD, 4/24/02 - "New research shows that life at high altitudes can speed the aging process for a woman by affecting her hormones ... In fact, by age 70, the levels of DHEA in the women who lived in the mountains were only about 40% of those in the comparison group"
• I have been taking SAMe for depression and it has been working well. I just found out that my DHEA is low. I am 52 years old. Is it advisable to take SAMe and DHEA together? - Life Extension Foundation, 1/02
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Decline Reflects Immune System Activation - Doctor's Guide, 12/13/01
• Possible treatment for female sexual dysfunction - Life Extension Foundation, 9/01
• DHEA: Anti-Aging Hormone - Life Extension Foundation, 8/01 - "Low levels of DHEA are associated with aging and disease states. Specifically, a deficiency of DHEA has been found to correlate with immune dysfunction, inflammation, greater risk of certain cancers, heart disease in men, and osteoporosis"
• Health Supplement [DHEA] A Hit Among Lupus Sufferers - Intelihealth, 8/13/01
• Low-Dose DHEA Has Beneficial Effects In Women With Low Androgens - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/01
• Unisex Hormones?, Testosterone, DHEA May Help Both Sexes - WebMD, 5/4/01 - "Low levels of male hormones probably account for decreased muscularity, sexual interest, and bone density in menopausal women ... a 50 mg dose of DHEA each day enhanced sexual interest and satisfaction in aging women, while promoting stronger bones and younger-looking skin"
• DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone - Medscape, 11/00
• Studies Show DHEA Quells Lupus - Nutrition Science News, 10/00
• Could Drug Containing DHEA Be an Answer for Lupus? - WebMD, 6/23/00
• DHEA: A Mental & Physical Boost - Life Extension Magazine, 12/99
• A year-long French study finds that DHEA Can Help Keep. . . Women in Love - Life Enhancement Magazine, 6/00
• Depression and DHEA Treatment - Life Extension Magazine, 10/27/99
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Speeds Up Donor Site Healing In Skin Grafting - Doctor's Guide, 3/17/00
• DHEA: Is It Right For You? - about.com women's health
• The Marriage of DHEA and 5-HTP for New and Better Mood Function - Life Enhancement Magazine, 7/99
• DHEA, a better antidepressant - Life Enhancement Magazine, 7/99
• Dipping DHEA Levels May Trigger Lupus - Nutrition Science News, 1/99
• Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked To Low Levels Of Certain Hormones - Doctor's Guide, 12/8/98 - "The UI data showed reduced levels of DHEA-S and testosterone in the synovial fluid and serum of JRA patients. In addition, the ratio of DHEA/DHEA-S in both synovial fluid and serum was much higher than that of the corresponding control serum, thus indicating the potential importance of hormonal imbalances in the JRA disease process"
• Caloric Restriction in Monkeys May Extend Life and Health - Doctor's Guide, 10/3/97 - "A second recent study from the NIA has shown caloric restriction slows the age-related decrease in amounts of a naturally-occurring steroid hormone, DHEA. Using natural DHEA levels as a biomarker of aging may assist scientists in their search for a way to slow down the aging process"
• DHEA - W. Dean & MD & Steven Fowkes

Abstracts:

• DHEA on sexual function in Sheehan Syndrome: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over trial - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 Apr 27 - "Majority of women with Sheehan syndrome (SS) suffer from sexual dysfunction. Severe androgen deficiency is a major contributory factor. DHEA supplementation has been reported to have variable efficacious in improving female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in several trials ... DHEA supplements (25mg twice daily) or matched placebo ... There was significant improvement in FSFI score from baseline to end of the study in the DHEA group as compared to the placebo group (p=0.006). Mean FSFI score and most of the individual domains of FSD improved with DHEA significantly in both groups (p=0.001 for each group with DHEA). Those who received DHEA first followed by placebo, FSFI declined significantly after placebo (p=0.041), but remained at an acceptable level of sexual functioning. Serum DHEAS increased significantly with DHEA treatment. No significant changes in glycemic index, lipid profile and liver enzymes were noted with DHEA treatment" - See Pure Encapsulations DHEA 25 mg at Amazon.com.
  • Sheehan syndrome - NIH - "Sheehan syndrome is caused by severe blood loss or extremely low blood pressure during or after childbirth. This leads to lack of blood flow to the front part of the pituitary gland, which enlarges during pregnancy. This damages the hormone-producing tissue so that the gland cannot function properly"
• Sex-Specific Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on Bone Mineral Density and Body Composition - Clin Endocrinol. 2019;90(2):293-300 - "Women on DHEA had increases (mean ± SD; all P < 0.001 vs placebo) in DHEAS (231 ± 164 μg/dL), testosterone (18.6 ± 20.9 μg/dL), (17)estradiol (8.7 ± 11.0 pg/mL) and IGF-1 (25.1 ± 52.3 ng/mL), and men had increases in DHEAS (269.0 ± 177 μg/dL; P < 0.01), (17)estradiol (4.8 ± 12.2 pg/m; P < 0.01) and IGF-1 (6.3 ± 41.4 ng/mL; P < 0.05). Women on DHEA had increases in lumbar spine (1.0% ± 3.4%) and trochanter (0.5% ± 3.8%) BMD and maintained total hip BMD (0.0% ± 2.8%); men had no BMD benefit and a decrease in fat mass (−0.4 ± 2.6 kg; all P < 0.01 vs placebo)" - See Pure Encapsulations - 7-Keto DHEA (100mg) - 60ct.
• Sex-Specific Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on Bone Mineral Density and Body Composition - Clin Endocrinol. 2019;90(2):293-300 - "Women on DHEA had increases (mean ± SD; all P < 0.001 vs placebo) in DHEAS (231 ± 164 μg/dL), testosterone (18.6 ± 20.9 μg/dL), (17)estradiol (8.7 ± 11.0 pg/mL) and IGF-1 (25.1 ± 52.3 ng/mL), and men had increases in DHEAS (269.0 ± 177 μg/dL; P < 0.01), (17)estradiol (4.8 ± 12.2 pg/m; P < 0.01) and IGF-1 (6.3 ± 41.4 ng/mL; P < 0.05). Women on DHEA had increases in lumbar spine (1.0% ± 3.4%) and trochanter (0.5% ± 3.8%) BMD and maintained total hip BMD (0.0% ± 2.8%); men had no BMD benefit and a decrease in fat mass (−0.4 ± 2.6 kg; all P < 0.01 vs placebo)" - See Pure Encapsulations - 7-Keto DHEA (100mg) - 60ct.
• Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology with poor ovarian response. A prospective case-control study - J Int Med Res. 2017 Jan 1:300060517720005 - "poor ovarian response (POR) ... DHEA supplementation in women with POR had a positive effect on hormonal profiles, the quality of the endometrium, the number of oocytes retrieved, the quality of embryos, and the pregnancy and live birth rates"
• Low Serum DHEAS Predicts Increased Fracture Risk in Older Men - the MrOS Sweden Study - J Bone Miner Res. 2017 Mar 9 - "DHEAS levels were inversely associated with the risk of any fracture (hazard ratio (HR) per SD decrease 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.24), non-vertebral major osteoporotic fractures (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.16-1.48) and hip fractures (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.37) but not clinical vertebral fractures (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.95-1.26) in Cox regression models adjusted for age, BMI and prevalent fractures ... low serum DHEAS levels are a risk marker of mainly non-vertebral fractures in older men, of whom those with DHEAS levels below 0.60 µg/ml are at highest risk"
• Does dehydroepiandrosterone improve pregnancy rate in women undergoing IVF/ICSI with expected poor ovarian response according to the Bologna criteria? A randomized controlled trial - Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2016 May;200:11-5 - "The study group received DHEA 25mg three times daily for 12 weeks before the IVF/ICSI cycles and the control group did not receive DHEA ... Controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) ... The DHEA group had significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate (32.8% vs 15.7%, p=0.029), ongoing pregnancy rate (28.5% vs 12.8%) ... DHEA was well tolerated by the patients and was associated with less COH days and gonadotropins doses" - See Pure Encapsulations 7-keto DHEA.
• Low serum dehydroepiandrosterone examined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry correlates with poor prognosis in hormone-naïve prostate cancer - Prostate. 2015 Nov 30 - "We confirmed that low serum DHEA levels in prostate cancer patients were related to high Gleason score and advanced clinical stage. These results suggest that serum DHEA level may be a useful prognostic factor in prostate cancer patients"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) promotes MIN6 cells insulin secretion via inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013 Oct 8 - "Although it has the property of anti-diabetes, the long-term effect of DHEAS on insulin secretion in beta-cells is still unclear. In this study, the effect of DHEAS on the insulin secretion activity in MIN6 cell lines in vitro was assessed. Insulin biosynthesis and secretion were stimulated by DHEAS for 24 h. DHEAS inhibited the AMPK activation and upregulated the expression of ACC-1. These findings indicate that DHEAS may exert prominent stimulatory effects on insulin secretion partly via AMPK inhibition and ACC-1 upregulation"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation in elderly men: a meta-analysis study of placebo controlled trials - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Jul 3 - "An extensive Medline Embase and Cochrane search was performed ... DHEA supplementation in elderly men can induce a small but significant positive effect on body composition which is strictly dependent on DHEA conversion into its bioactive metabolites such as androgens or estrogens"
• Low Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate is Associated With Increased Risk of Ischemic Stroke Among Women - Stroke. 2013 May 23 - "Between 1989 and 1990, 32 826 women without prior stroke in the Nurses' Health Study, an observational cohort, provided blood samples and were followed up for cardiovascular events ... Conditional on matching factors, the lowest DHEAS quartile exhibited a relative risk of 1.30 for ischemic stroke (95% confidence interval, 0.88-1.94), compared with the highest quartile and marginally unchanged when adjusted for confounders (relative risk=1.33; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-2.02). When modeled as a binary variable dichotomized at the lowest quartile, women with low DHEAS (≤the lowest quartile) had a significantly increased multivariable adjusted risk of ischemic stroke compared with those with higher levels (relative risk=1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.92)"
• A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Trial on the Effect of Dehydroepiandrosterone for 16 Weeks on Ovarian Response Markers in Women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Nov 8 - "Preliminary reports have shown encouraging effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in women with poor ovarian reserve undergoing assisted reproduction and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), although data from randomized controlled trials are limited ... Eligible subjects were randomized into the DHEA group (n = 10), who received DHEA (LiveWell, 25 mg three times a day), or the placebo group (n = 12), who received placebo for 16 wk according to a computer-generated randomization list ... No significant change in serum AMH and FSH levels had been detected throughout the study. AFC and ovarian volume were significantly higher at wk 12 and 20, respectively, in the DHEA group. Significantly more women having at least one follicle of 10 mm or greater at wk 12, 16, and 20 were found in the DHEA group. Serum testosterone and DHEA sulfate levels along with higher estradiol levels were significantly higher in the DHEA group"
• The use of dehydroepiandrosterone in the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder: A report of gender differences - Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2012 Oct 17 - "Data regarding the efficacy of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) are scarce and inconsistent. We aimed to determine possible gender differences in the efficacy of DHEA as a treatment for HDSS. Postmenopausal women (n=27), and men (n=21) with HSDD, were randomized to receive either DHEA 100mg daily or placebo for 6 weeks in a controlled, double blind study ... In women only, significant interaction effects were observed for sexual arousal (p<0.05), satisfaction (p<0.05), and cognition (trend; p=0.06). For arousal, a significant improvement was observed for the DHEA treated group at 6 weeks (p=0.001). Significant correlations were observed between bioavailable T and sexual cognitions, arousal and orgasm, while DHEAS was correlated with satisfaction. In the men, significant correlations were observed between testosterone and arousal (r=.45), sexual drive (r=.50) and orgasm (r=.55). In women with HSDD, DHEA treatment had a significant beneficial effect on arousal, whereas no efficacy was demonstrated in men, indicating a possible gender difference. This improvement seems to be mediated via DHEA's metabolism to testosterone. Our positive results suggest that the neurosteroid DHEA may be effective as a treatment for women with HSDD if administered at a dose of at least 100mg per day"
• Diferential Effect of Oral Dehydroepiandrosterone-Sulphate on Metabolic Syndrome Features in Pre- and Postmenopausal Obese Women - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2011 Dec 2 - "To analyze the effect in obese pre- and postmenopausal women of a daily dose of 100 mg Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA-S) provided over a period of 3 months as replacement therapy against Metabolic-Syndrome ... DHEA-S replacement produced weight loss in the obese women studied. Moreover, waist-circumference, glucose and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, among other Metabolic-Syndrome parameters, improved in the postmenopausal group, who showed a significant reduction in the total Metabolic-Syndrome Score (P<0.05). In contrast, in premenopausal women, the effect of DHEA-S was limited to obesity parameters and no effect was observed on Metabolic-Syndrome components. No significant changes were evident in the placebo group. Conclusions:  An oral dose of DHEA-S is useful for weight loss. In obese postmenopausal women the hormone significantly improves plasma biochemical levels and anthropometric characteristics, leading to a better metabolic profile, which highlights the usefulness of this therapy against Metabolic-Syndrome in this group of women"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone protects against oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunction in ovariectomized rats - J Physiol. 2011 Mar 14 - "The present results suggest an important action of DHEA, improving endothelial function in OVX rats by acting as antioxidant and enhancing the NO bioavailability"
• Cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, their ratio and hypertension: evidence of associations in male veterans from the Vietnam Experience Study - J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Feb 10 - "Cortisol and the cortisol:DHEAS ratio were positively associated with hypertension (P<0.001), whereas DHEAS was negatively associated; the latter relationship was attenuated to non-significance (P=0.06) in models that adjusted for age, sociodemographics, place of service, health behaviours and BMI. The present analyses provide confirmation of a positive association between cortisol and the cortisol:DHEAS ratio and population hypertension"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone combined with exercise improves muscle strength and physical function in frail older women - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2010 Sep;58(9):1707-14 - "DHEA supplementation resulted in gains in lower extremity strength (from 459 +/- 121 N to 484 +/- 147 N; P=.01). There was also improvement in Short Physical Performance Battery score, a composite score that focuses on lower extremity function, in those taking DHEA (from 10.1 +/- 1.8 to 10.7 +/- 1.9; P=.02). There were significant changes in all hormone levels, including DHEAS, estradiol, estrone, and testosterone, and a decline in sex hormone-binding globulin levels in those taking DHEA ... CONCLUSION: DHEA supplementation improved lower extremity strength and function in older, frail women involved in a gentle exercise program of chair aerobics or yoga. No changes were found in BMD either due to small sample size, short duration of study or no effect. The physical function findings are promising and require further evaluation as frail women are at high risk for falls and fracture"
• DHEA-S Levels and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Postmenopausal Women - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Aug 25 - "Women in the lowest DHEA-S tertile had higher CVD mortality (17% 6-yr mortality rate vs. 8%; log-rank P = 0.011), and all-cause mortality (21 vs. 10%; P = 0.011) compared with women with higher DHEA-S levels. The increased CVD mortality risk [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19-5.45] remained unchanged after adjustment for multiple CVD risk factors (HR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.06-5.56) but became nonsignificant when further adjusting for the presence or severity of angiographic obstructive CAD (HR = 1.99; 95% CI = 0.87-4.59). Results were similar for all-cause mortality. Lower DHEA-S levels were only marginally but not independently associated with obstructive CAD"
• Protective effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on atherosclerosis in ovariectomized rabbits via alleviating inflammatory injury in endothelial cells - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Aug 3 - "The risk for atherosclerosis is increased in postmenopausal women. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is postulated to have anti-atherogenic properties ... DHEA administration alleviates efficiently the early pathologic damage of atherosclerosis, increases the serum NO level, and up-regulates the endothelial cell estrogen receptor (ER) expression of ovariectomized rabbits. DHEA in vitro significantly promotes NO synthesis, suppresses MDA and MCP-1 secretion of endothelial cells, and decreases ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and E-selectin expression in HUVECs; neither selective ERα antagonist (methyl-piperidino-pyrazole, MPP) nor ERβ antagonist (R,R-tetrahydrochrysene, R,RTHC) can abolish these effects. Furthermore, DHEA reduces CCR2, LFA-1 and VLA-4 expression in U937 cells, which in turn inhibits the adherence of monocytes to the injured endothelial cells. DHEA significantly decreased the LPS-induced NF-κB transcription"
• Role of androgens in women's sexual dysfunction - Menopause. 2010 Jun 8 - "Significantly lower levels of two precursor hormones, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and androstene-3beta,17beta-diol, were found in women with sexual dysfunction ... Although the significance of the former awaits further study, androgen deficiency in women with HSDD was not confirmed. Given the unknown long-term effects of testosterone supplementation, women receiving testosterone therapy should be informed that a deficit of testosterone activity in women with HSDD has not been identified"
• Elevated serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate level correlates with increased risk for metabolic syndrome in the elderly men - Eur J Clin Invest. 2009 Dec 30 - "The highest DHEA-S quartile group had increased risk for metabolic syndrome (odds ratio = 2.68, 95% confidence interval: 1.44-5.01, P < 0.01) compared with the lowest quartile group. The mean serum DHEA-S level increased with increasing number of metabolic syndrome components. Conclusions The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases with elevated DHEA-S levels among elderly Taiwanese men. Thus, elevated serum DHEA-S level should be treated as an important risk factor for metabolic syndrome in elderly men"
• Circulating Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Concentrations during the Menopausal Transition - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May 26 - "Cross-sectional analysis at baseline, showed a linear decline in circulating log-transformed DHEAS with increasing age for either the entire cohort (2.81% per year) for individual ethnicities. A similar negative association with baseline age (2.44% decline per year) was seen in longitudinal linear mixed modeling including observations from premenopause through late postmenopause, an additional 0.33% decline/year"
• Serum steroid levels during 12-week intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone administration - Menopause. 2009 May 8 - "The present data show that local daily intravaginal DHEA administration at DHEA doses of 3.25-13 mg was able to rapidly and efficiently achieve correction of all the signs and symptoms of vaginal atrophy and improve sexual function and caused no or minimal changes in serum sex steroid levels, which all remain within the normal postmenopausal range, thus avoiding the risks of all estrogen formulations"
• Intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (Prasterone), the physiological and a highly efficient treatment of vaginal atrophy - Menopause. 2009 May 8 - "All three doses (0.25%, 0.5%, and 1.0%) of DHEA ovules applied daily intravaginally induced a highly significant beneficial change in the percentage of vaginal parabasal and superficial cells and pH as well as in the most bothersome symptom at 2 weeks. At the standard 12-week time interval, 0.5% DHEA caused a 45.9 +/- 5.31 (P < 0.0001 vs placebo) decrease in the percentage of parabasal cells, a 6.8 +/- 1.29% (P < 0.0001) increase in superficial cells, a 1.3 +/- 0.13 unit (P < 0.0001) decrease in vaginal pH, and a 1.5 +/- 0.14 score unit (P < 0.0001) decrease in the severity of the most bothersome symptom. Similar changes were seen on vaginal secretions, color, epithelial surface thickness, and epithelial integrity. Comparable effects were observed at the 0.25% and 1.0% DHEA doses ... Local Prasterone, through local androgen and estrogen formation, causes a rapid and efficient reversal of all the symptoms and signs of vaginal atrophy with no or minimal changes in serum steroids, which remain well within the normal postmenopausal range. This approach avoids the fear of systemic effects common to all presently available estrogen formulations and adds a novel physiological androgenic component to therapy"
• Low serum levels of sex-steroids are associated with disease characteristics in primary Sjogren's syndrome; supplementation with dehydroepiandrosterone restores the concentrations - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar 24 - "Dry mouth symptoms decreased during DHEA therapy ... Disease manifestations in primary Sjogren's syndrome were associated with low sex hormone levels, dry mouth symptoms with low androgens and dry eyes with low estrogens. Exogenous DHEA was preferentially transformed into androgens rather than into estrogens"
• Pharmacokinetics of dehydroepiandrosterone and its metabolites after long-term oral dehydroepiandrosterone treatment in postmenopausal women - Menopause. 2008 Dec 17 - "after prolonged treatment of postmenopausal women with 25 mg/d of dehydroepiandrosterone ... Mean baseline androgen levels at day 1 and month 3 in the treated group (seven evaluable women) were the following: dehydroepiandrosterone, 1.82 and 3.56 ng/mL; dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, 0.96 and 3.37 mug/mL; 5-androstene-3beta,17beta-diol, 0.32 and 0.66 ng/mL; androstenedione, 0.50 and 0.86 ng/mL; testosterone, 17.9 and 28.7 ng/dL; dihydrotestosterone, 6.91 and 17.4 ng/dL; and 3alpha-androstanediol glucuronide, 2.66 and 10.7 ng/mL, respectively; these increases were significant. Small changes (-6% to 16%) were observed from month 3 to month 6. Nonsignificant increases were observed in baseline estrone and estradiol levels and in Cmax and AUC0-24h values for the androgens and estrogens from day 1 to months 3 and 6 of treatment. Sex hormone-binding globulin levels were unchanged, but free testosterone increased significantly from day 1 to month 3 ... Changes in baseline values over time differed significantly between the groups for all hormones except estrone and estra"
• Effects of mirtazapine on dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate and cortisol plasma concentrations in depressed patients - J Psychiatr Res. 2008 Aug 13 - "Mirtazapine significantly reduced both COR and DHEA-S concentrations, but had no impact on the COR/DHEA-S ratio"
• Serum DHEA-S Level Is Associated with the Presence of Atherosclerosis in Postmenopausal Women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Endocr J. 2008 May 21 - "intima-media thickness (IMT) ... Although simple regression analysis showed that log(DHEA-S) and IGF-I in men and log(DHEA-S) in women were significantly and inversely correlated with baPWV and IMT, only log(DHEA-S) in women was still significantly and inversely correlated with these atherosclerotic parameters after multiple regression analysis was adjusted for age, duration of diabetes, BMI, HbA(1C), systolic blood pressure, LDL-Cholesterol (C), serum creatinine, and smoking (Brinkman index). Serum DHEA-S level seemed to be associated with atherosclerosis in diabetic postmenopausal women independent of age, body stature, diabetic status, and other atherosclerotic risk factors, and might be a useful addition to other parameters for assessing the risk of atherosclerosis in this population" - See DHEA at Amazon.com.
• Serum Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Levels Predict Longevity in Men: 27-Year Follow-Up Study in a Community-Based Cohort (Tanushimaru Study) - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Apr 18 - "in men after adjustments for age, systolic blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose showed significantly (log-rank stat =10.6; P<.001) greater longevity in the highest group (200 mug/dL) than in the moderate (130-199 mug/dL) or lowest groups (129 mug/dL)"
• Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation on bone mineral density, bone markers, and body composition in older adults: the DAWN trial - Osteoporos Int. 2007 Dec 15 - "Among older healthy adults, daily administration of 50 mg of DHEA has a modest and selective beneficial effect on BMD and bone resorption in women, but provides no bone benefit for men"
• DHEA sulfate levels are associated with more favorable cognitive function in women - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Dec 11 - "In the multiple linear regression analysis the DHEAS term made a significant independent positive contribution to the Controlled Oral Word Association Test score, a measure of executive function. In addition, women with a DHEAS level in the highest tertile who also had more than 12 years of education performed better on both Digit Span Forward and Digit Span Backward tests which are tests of simple concentration and working memory respectively"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone and monoamines in the limbic system of a genetic animal model of childhood depression - Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2007 Aug 20 - "The results from the current study may imply that treatment with DHEA could be a promising novel therapeutic option for depressed children and adolescents that fail to respond to common (monoaminergic) antidepressant treatments"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone administration counteracts oxidative imbalance and AGE formation in type 2 diabetic patients - Diabetes Care. 2007 Aug 17 - "Data indicate that DHEA treatment ameliorates the oxidative imbalance induced by hyperglycaemia, down-regulates the TNFalpha/TNFalpha receptors system and prevents AGE formation, suggesting a beneficial effect on the onset and/or progression of chronic complications in type 2 diabetic patients"
• Changes in Serum Sex Hormone Profiles after Short-term Low-dose Administration of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to Young and Elderly Persons - Endocr J. 2007 Mar;54(1):153-62 - "In subjects who were older than 41 yrs. (older group) serum androstenedione and estradiol levels were elevated after the DHEA administration. Significant negative correlations were observed between the serum DHEA concentration and the serum concentration of fasting insulin, HOMA-R, leptin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein for all subjects. Daily administration of 25 mg DHEA increased the serum DHEA, DHEAS, androstenedione, and estradiol levels of the subjects of the older group to the same level as that of younger subjects"
• DHEA in elderly women and DHEA or testosterone in elderly men - N Engl J Med. 2006 Oct 19;355(16):1647-59
• Effects of DHEA Replacement Therapy on Bone Mineral Density in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 May 30 - "DHEA replacement therapy for 1 yr improved hip BMD in older adults and spine BMD in older women"
• Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on gluconeogenic enzymes and glucose uptake in human hepatoma cell line, HepG2 - Endocr J. 2005 Dec;52(6):727-33 - "DHEA may act at multiple steps in the regulation of glucose metabolism in the liver"
• Relationship between serum sex steroids and Aging Male Symptoms score and International Index of Erectile Function - Urology. 2005 Sep;66(3):597-601 - "Although DHEA-S levels were significantly lower and E2 levels were greater in the men with aging male symptoms according to the AMS, the DHEA-S and FT levels were significantly lower in the men with sexual dysfunction, as determined by the IIEF score. Serum DHEA-S and FT levels and age correlated significantly with the IIEF scores"
• Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentration and carotid atherosclerosis in men with type 2 diabetes - Atherosclerosis. 2005 Aug;181(2):339-44 - "evaluated intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque score (PS) ... Negative correlations were found between DHEA-S concentration and IMT (r=-0.298, P<0.0001) and between DHEA-S concentration and PS (r=-0.308, P<0.0001). IMT and PS were significantly greater in patients with lower concentrations of DHEA-S (<1000ng/ml) than in patients with higher concentrations of DHEA-S"
• Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone replacement on insulin sensitivity and lipids in hypoadrenal women - Diabetes. 2005 Mar;54(3):765-9 - "replacement therapy with 50 mg of DHEA for 12 weeks significantly increased insulin sensitivity in hypoadrenal women, thereby suggesting that DHEA replacement could have a potential impact in preventing type 2 diabetes"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Monotherapy in Midlife-Onset Major and Minor Depression - Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2/05 - "Six weeks of DHEA administration was associated with a significant improvement in the 17-Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ratings"
• Effect of DHEA on Abdominal Fat and Insulin Action in Elderly Women and Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial - JAMA. 2004 Nov 10;292(18):2243-8 - "DHEA replacement could play a role in prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome associated with abdominal obesity"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Relations to Dietary and Lifestyle Variables in a General Population Sample - Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2003;47:158-164 - "DHEA declines sharply with age and there is some evidence that the decline may be sharper in men than in women. Protein intake was significantly inversely associated with plasma levels of DHEA, whereas other dietary factors, energy expenditure and anthropometric variables were unrelated to this hormone"
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Augmentation in the Management of Negative, Depressive, and Anxiety Symptoms in Schizophrenia - Archives of General Psychiatry, 2/03 - "Results indicated significant improvement in negative symptoms (P<.001), as well as in depressive (P<.05) and anxiety (P<.001) symptoms in individuals receiving DHEA. This effect was especially noted in women"
• Double-blind treatment of major depression with dehydroepiandrosterone - Am J Psychiatry 1999 Apr;156(4):646-9 - "DHEA was associated with a significantly greater decrease in Hamilton depression scale ratings than was placebo. Five of the 11 patients treated with DHEA, compared with none of the 11 given placebo, showed a 50% decrease or greater in depressive symptoms"
• Biotransformation of oral dehydroepiandrosterone in elderly men: significant increase in circulating estrogens - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999 Jun;84(6):2170-6 - "Serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone remained unchanged after DHEA administration. In contrast, 17beta-estradiol and estrone significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner to concentrations still within the upper normal range for men [placebo vs. 50 mg DHEA vs. 100 mg DHEA; AUC 0-12 h for 17beta-estradiol, 510 +/- 198 vs. 635 +/- 156 vs. 700 +/- 209 pmol/L x h (P < 0.0001); AUC 0-12 h for estrone, 1443 +/- 269 vs. 2537 +/- 434 vs. 3254 +/- 671 pmol/L x h (P < 0.0001)]" - That's a 40% increase in the bad estrogen!!!  On top of that, if you are taking testosterone, that increases estrogen also.  See aromatization.
• Dehydroepiandrosterone in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study - Urology. 1999 Mar;53(3):590-4 - "Our results suggest that oral DHEA treatment may be of benefit in the treatment of ED."
• Prevention of immune dysfunction and vitamin E loss by dehydroepiandrosterone and melatonin supplementation during murine retrovirus infection - Immunology. 1999 Feb;96(2):291-7
• DHEA protects against visceral obesity and muscle insulin resistance in rats fed a high-fat diet - Am J Physiol. 1997 Nov;273(5 Pt 2):R1704-8 - "These results show that DHEA has a protective effect against accumulation of visceral fat and development of muscle insulin resistance in rats fed a high-fat diet."
• Effect of 12-month DHEA replacement therapy on bone, vagina, and endometrium in postmenopausal women - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Oct;82(10):3498-505 - "a finding of particular interest for both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis."
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatment of depression - Biol Psychiatry. 1997 Feb 1;41(3):311-8 - "These preliminary data suggest DHEA may have antidepressant and promemory effects"