Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 4/30/08.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Study supports lycopene protecting skin from within - Nutra USA, 4/29/08 - "Consuming lycopene-rich tomato paste may protect against sunburn and sun-induced skin ageing ... Skin samples taken from the subjects indicated that the tomato paste-supplemented individuals had higher skin levels of pro-collagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and loss of which leads to skin ageing and lack of elasticity" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.

ACE Inhibitors May Help in Weight Loss - WebMD, 4/28/08 - "the ACE-deficient mice not only broke down fats faster in the liver, they processed blood sugars more quickly than the other mice, making them less likely to develop diabetes ... The study results demonstrate that an ACE deficiency leads to reduction in body fat accumulation in mice and suggests that drugs that affect the renin-angiotensin system, such as ACE inhibitors, might spark weight loss, especially in the midsection" - See ramipril (an ACE inhibitor) at OffshoreRX.

Green tea's Alzheimer protection gets more support - Nutra USA, 4/25/08 - "Polyphenon E (PE) ... The animals receiving the green tea extract should significantly decreased beta-amyloid-induced changes to the reference and working memory, while levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were 42 per cent less than the controls animals infused with the protein ... a person (with a body weight of 50 kg) would have to drink about three litres of PE per day to get similar effects ... However, humans consume antioxidants (including vitamins A, B, C and E as well as polyphenols, etc.) from various food sources everyday. Therefore, a lower amount (less than three litres) of 0.5 per cent PE-mixed water volume intake may be effective in humans to ensure the similar effects" - [Abstract] - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D, calcium combo may cut exercise-related stress fractures - Nutra USA, 4/25/08 - "randomly assigned the recruits to receive daily supplements of 2,000 mg of calcium and 800 IU of vitamin D, and the other group received a placebo ... Women receiving the vitamin-mineral combination were 20 per cent less likely to experience the fractures" - [Abstract]

Dietary Lignans Improve Breast Cancer Survival - Medscape, 4/25/08 - "a high intake of lignans was associated with about a 50% reduction in mortality from all causes. This included cardiovascular disease and other cancers" - See Flax Essence at iHerb.

Common Vitamin And Other Micronutrient Supplements Reduce Risks Of TB Recurrence, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 4/25/08 - "micronutrients using doses of vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, and selenium or placebo ... both HIV-infected and uninfected patients with pulmonary TB who were receiving the supplements had a decreased risk of TB recurrence during the next few months after the TB culture had become negative: 45 percent overall and 63 percent in HIV-infected patients. Supplementation also reduced the incidence of peripheral neuropathy by 57 percent, irrespective of HIV status, and increased the levels of certain cells (CD3 and CD4) important in immune response in HIV-uninfected patients"

Diets With High Omega-6:Omega-3 Ratios Enhance Risk for Depression, Inflammatory Disease - Medscape, 4/25/08 - "Whereas the early hunter-gatherers had a dietary omega-6:omega-3 ratio of 2:1 to 3:1, this ratio is now 15:1 to 17:1 in North America today ... It is believed that these dietary changes might be related to increases in inflammatory-related diseases, including depression and cardiovascular disease ... at higher levels of depressive symptoms, as the omega-6:omega-3 ratio increased, there was a marked increase in proinflammatory cytokine levels ... compared with the study participants who did not have syndromal depression, the 6 participants who had depression had significantly higher omega-6:omega-3 ratios and higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Common Viruses Raise Lung Cancer Risk - WebMD, 4/25/08 - "Scientists have found evidence of the measles virus and human papillomaviruses (HPV) in samples of tissue taken from lung cancer patients ... The findings raise an intriguing question: Could an HPV vaccine similar to Gardasil, the one approved to protect women against cervical cancer, also help thwart lung cancers?"

Reducing Salt Intake Can Lower the Long-Term Risk for Cardiovascular Events - Medscape, 4/24/08 - "Cutting back on salt intake, while known to lower blood pressure, also appears to significantly reduce the long-term risk of cardiovascular events. Observational follow-up from the Trials of Hypertension Prevention (TOHP) showed that a reduction in salt intake could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease outcomes by 25%"

Coffee May Protect Against Breast Cancer, Study Shows - Science Daily, 4/24/08 - "Depending on which variant of a certain gene a woman has, a coffee consumption rate of at least two-three cups a day can either reduce the total risk of developing breast cancer or delay the onset of cancer"

Lifelong prebiotic supplements may enhance survival: rat study - Nutra USA, 4/24/08 - "In terms of survival, at 18 months of age, all the animals in the prebiotic group were still alive, compared to 76 per cent in the control group. After 24 months, 81 per cent of the rats in the prebiotic group were alive, compared to only 52 per cent of controls" - [Abstract] - See inulin products at iHerb.

Tailored Workouts for Heart Disease? - WebMD, 9/23/08 - "Endurance training involved one- to three-hour sessions of rowing on the water or on gym equipment. Strength training involved weight training and drills designed to improve muscle strength and reaction time ... Both the right and left ventricles of the endurance athletes expanded, while the heart muscle in the left ventricle tended to thicken (but did not expand) among the strength athletes. The ventricles are the principal pumping chambers of the heart and are responsible for sending blood to the body and to the lungs ... The heart relaxed more in the endurance athletes, but less well in the strength athletes, though still remaining within normal ranges. In general, better heart muscle relaxation is considered advantageous"

Dietary Fish Oil Has Antiarrhythmic Effects in Ischemic Heart Disease - Medscape, 4/22/08 - "This stabilizing effect may be one way in which fish oil reduces mortality in patients with coronary artery disease" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

HPV-related oral cancers rise among younger men - baltimoresun.com, 4/14/08 - "They're men in their 40s, and even 30s, whose cancer is brought on by the increasingly common human papillomavirus (HPV) ... researchers now believe that the increase in certain oral cancers can be traced to the spread of the virus through oral sex ... New studies suggest that HPV-related oral cancer cases are on pace to eventually surpass cases of cervical cancer in the United States ... many doctors do not realize that they should be on the lookout for oral cancer in younger patients ... The public is unaware of this"

Diagnosis and treatment of vtamin D deficiency - vitamindcouncil.org - "It is important to understand that neither the regular consumption of recommended amounts of vitamin D (e.g., 100 IU/8-oz glass of milk) effectively prevents vitamin D deficiency [79,80]. Furthermore, 2000 IU/day for 1 year failed to achieve a 32 ng/ml target 25(OH)D concentration in 40% of 104 African-American women studied [81]. Even the administration of 4000 IU/day for > 6 months to middle-age Canadian endocrinology out-patients, resulted in average 25(OH)D levels of 44 ng/ml and produced no side effects other than an improved mood [70]. Heaney estimated that ~ 3000 IU/day of vitamin D is required to assure that 97% of Americans obtain levels > 35 ng/ml [43]. Healthy adult men use between 3000 and 5000 IU of vitamin D/day, if it is available [82]"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Low plasma carotenoids and skeletal muscle strength decline over 6 years - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008 Apr;63(4):376-83 - "These findings suggest that older community-dwelling adults with lower plasma carotenoids levels, a marker of poor fruit and vegetable intake, are at a higher risk of decline in skeletal muscle strength over time" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.

Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Telmisartan With Losartan in the Treatment of Patients With Hypertension - Am J Hypertens. 2008 May;21(5):546-52. Epub 2008 Mar 20 - "In comparison with losartan, telmisartan provides superior control of BP and has no association with increased risk of adverse events" - See why I feel telmisartan should be the first line treatment.  - See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.

Cardioprotective Mechanism of Telmisartan via PPAR-gamma-eNOS Pathway in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Hypertensive Rats - Am J Hypertens. 2008 May;21(5):576-81 - "These results suggest that the cardioprotective mechanism of telmisartan may be partly due to improvement of endothelial function associated with PPAR-gamma-eNOS, oxidative stress, and Rho-kinase pathway"

Quercetin inhibits vascular superoxide production induced by endothelin-1: Role of NADPH oxidase, uncoupled eNOS and PKC - Atherosclerosis. 2008 Mar 16 - "Chronic administration of the most abundant dietary flavonoid quercetin exerts antihypertensive effects and improves endothelial function ... endothelin-1 (ET-1, 10nM). ET-1 increased the contractile response induced by phenylephrine and reduced the relaxant responses to acetylcholine in phenylephrine contracted intact aorta, and these effects were prevented by co-incubation with quercetin, isorhamnetin or chelerythrine (protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor). This endothelial dysfunction was also improved by superoxide dismutase (SOD), apocynin (NADPH oxidase inhibitor) and sepiapterin (tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis substrate). Furthermore, ET-1 increased intracellular O(2)(-) production in all layers of the vessel, protein expression of NADPH oxidase subunit p47(phox) without affecting p22(phox) expression and lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence signal stimulated by calcium ionophore A23187. All these changes were prevented by both quercetin and isorhamnetin. Moreover, apocynin, endothelium denudation and N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methylester (l-NAME, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) suppressed the ET-1-induced increase in A23187-stimulated O(2)(-) generation. Moreover, quercetin but not isorhamnetin, inhibited the increased PKC activity induced by ET-1" - See quercetin at Amazon.com.

Telomere length and obesity - Acta Paediatr. 2008 Apr 21 - "No difference was found between the TRF lengths of obese and normal children. Obese adults had shorter TRF lengths than adults who were not obese (mean TRF length difference, -884.5; 95% confidence intervals -1727 to -41.8; t= 2.183; df = 17; p < 0.041)"

Green tea catechins prevent cognitive deficits caused by Abeta(1-40) in rats - J Nutr Biochem. 2008 Feb 14 - "Polyphenon E (PE) .. PE administration for 26 weeks significantly decreased the Abeta-induced increase in the number of reference and working memory errors, with a concomitant reduction of hippocampal lipid peroxide (LPO; 40%) and cortico-hippocampal reactive oxygen species (ROS; 42% and 50%, respectively). Significantly reduced levels of LPO in the plasma (24%) and hippocampus (25%) as well as those of ROS in the hippocampus (23%) and cortex (41%) were found in the PE+Vehicle group as compared with the Vehicle group ... long-term administration of green tea catechins provides effective prophylactic benefits against Abeta-induced cognitive impairment" - [Nutra USA] - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Calcium and vitamin d supplementation decreases incidence of stress fractures in female navy recruits - J Bone Miner Res. 2008 May;23(5):741-9 - "randomized them to 2000 mg calcium and 800 IU vitamin D/d or placebo ... found a 21% lower incidence of fractures in the supplemented versus the control group" - [Nutra USA]

Effect of Coenzyme Q(10), Riboflavin and Niacin on Tamoxifen treated postmenopausal breast cancer women with special reference to blood chemistry profiles - Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 Apr 22 - "Tamoxifen (TAM) ... TAM also has estrogenic activity on liver and endometrium causing severe oxidative stress with various biochemical derangements. Coenzyme Q(10), Riboflavin and Niacin (CoRN) are well-known potent antioxidants and protective agents against many diseases including cancer ... A statistically significant alteration in various blood chemistry parameters, such as serum total bilirubin (S. BIL), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT), uric acid (UA), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferases (LCAT), potassium, calcium and Na(+), K(+)-ATPase in sole TAM-treated group, was favorably reverted back to near normal levels on combinatorial therapy with CoRN" - See ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.

Valsartan Improves Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetes Independently of Blood Pressure Lowering - Hypertension. 2008 Apr 21 - "Increased arterial stiffness, as estimated from aortic pulse wave velocity (Ao-PWV), and albuminuria are independent predictors for cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) ... Ao-PWV showed a significantly greater reduction, mean (95% CI), -0.9 m/s (-1.4 to -0.3) for valsartan/HCTZ compared to amlodipine (P=0.002). AER fell significantly only with Val/HCTZ from 30.8(20.4, 46.5) to 18.2(12.5, 26.3) mcg/min, (P=0.01) with between treatment difference in favor of Val/HCTZ of -15.3mcg/min" - Telmisartan, another ARB and my first line plug, will decrease arterial stiffness also.  See:

• Angiotensin II Antagonist Telmisartan Fights Stiffening Arteries In Hypertensive Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 - "not only effectively lowered blood pressure compared with placebo, but also significantly decreased arterial stiffness" - See telmisartan at OffshoreRX.

Letrozole once a week normalizes serum testosterone in obesity-related male hypogonadism - Eur J Endocrinol. 2008 May;158(5):741-7 - "Isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is frequently observed in severely obese men, probably as a result of increased estradiol (E(2)) production and E(2)-mediated negative feedback on pituitary LH secretion. Aromatase inhibitors can reverse this process ... treated with 2.5 mg letrozole once a week for 6 months ... Six weeks of treatment reduced total E(2) from 123+/-11 to 58+/-7 pmol/l (P<0.001, mean+/-s.e.m.), and increased serum LH from 4.4+/-0.6 to 11.1+/-1.5 U/l (P<0.001). Total testosterone rose from 5.9+/-0.5 to 19.6+/-1.4 nmol/l (P<0.001), and free testosterone from 163+/-13 to 604+/-50 pmol/l (P<0.001). Total testosterone rose to within the normal range in all subjects, whereas free testosterone rose to supraphysiological levels in 7 out of 12 men ... Letrozole 2.5 mg once a week produced a sustained normalization of serum total testosterone in obese men with IHH. However, free testosterone frequently rose to supraphysiological levels. Therefore, a starting dose <2.5 mg once a week is recommended" - See Femara (letrozole) at OffshoreRX.  I've been taking a quarter table a day but it sounds like that's way to much an a quarter tablet every other day might be best which comes to 2.5 mg every 8 days.  People complain about the hassle to get doctors to prescribe testosterone.  It sounds like letrozole will give you the same or better numbers without the hassle.  Plus testosterone replacement increases estrogen but letrozole has the advantage of decreasing it.  See my aromatization page.

Effects of lifelong intervention with an oligofructose-enriched inulin in rats on general health and lifespana> - Br J Nutr. 2008 Apr 11;:1-8 - "a diet with 10 % of an oligofructose-enriched inulin (Synergy1) ... During the whole intervention period, male rats receiving Synergy1 (SYN1-M) displayed lower body weight, cholesterol and plasma triacylglycerolaemia compared with the controls (Cont-M). The survival rate at 24 months of age of SYN1-M rats was 35.3 % greater than that of Cont-M rats. In female rats, the Synergy1 supplementation (SYN1-F) group also reduced body weight, cholesterol and triacylglycerolaemia levels, but results were less consistent over the experiment. The survival rate at 24 months of age in SYN1-F rats was 33.3 % greater compared with that of the control (Cont-F) group. To conclude, lifelong intervention with Synergy1 improved biological markers during ageing and survival rate (lifespan) of rats" - See inulin products at iHerb.

Reduction in Blood Pressure With Statins: Results From the UCSD Statin Study, a Randomized Trial - Arch Intern Med. 2008 Apr 14;168(7):721-7 - "Statins modestly but significantly reduced BP relative to placebo,by 2.2 mm Hg for SBP (P = .02) and 2.4mm Hg for DBP"

Omega-3 fatty acid concentrates in the treatment of moderate hypertriglyceridemia - Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2008 May;9(7):1237-48 - "Prescription omega-3 fatty acid concentrates (P-OM3) are indicated for use in people with very high triglycerides ... P-OM3 are effective in reducing triglycerides by approximately 30% in this population" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff:

If you Google “Vonage Bluetooth” it will tell you that you need Vonage Softphone for Bluetooth which is an additional $10 per month.  That’s no longer true though since Vonage released its Vonage Talk software.  To make that software Bluetooth capable, you’ll need something like Anycom USB-250 Bluetooth 2.0 400 Ft Broadcom Chip  (4 stars, 89 reviews) and Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset with Multipoint Technology (4.5 stars, 1986 reviews).  It works, I bought them. The first time you’ll need to change the preferences in the Vonage Talk software. Go “Tools – Preferences … - Audio” and select the Bluetooth for the input and output device.  It claims the range is 400 feet so you can check the mail, shave, go to the bathroom, do your makeup, surf the Internet, cook, do the dishes, clean the house, work in the yard, etc. totally hands free and wire free while talking on the phone. It’s great.  After I bought the Anycom, I noticed that the IOGEAR USB Adapter with bluetooth Wireless Technology 2.0 Spec Class 1 (330 feet advertised)had a higher rating (4.5 stars, 6 reviews) but the sales rank was way lower (higher number).  The Msi Star Key Bluetooth USB Dongle also got 4.5 stars from 8 reviews (100 meters = 330 feet also).  The only downside is that I couldn't get it to answer with the headset button, I had to click on the Vonage Talk answer icon.  When I get time I'll see if there is something I can do in the Anycom preferences.

Supplement Focus (DHEA):

Specific DHEA Recommendations:

• DHEA at Amazon.com
• DHEA at Amazon.com
• DHEA products at Vitacost

Related DHEA Topics:

• Aromatization / I3C / DIM / Chrysin

7-Keto DHEA:

• 7-KETO - Vitacost Health Library
• Weight Loss—7-Keto DHEA - natmedonline.com
• 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 DHEA News:

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) - Vitacost Health Library
• Dehydroepiandrosterone for Sports & Fitness - Vitacost Health Library
• Dehydroepiandrosterone for Weight Control - Vitacost Health Library
• DHEA Replacement Therapy - Life Extension Foundation
• DHEA - A Practical Guide - Ray Sahelian, M.D.
• DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) - The Natural Pharmacist
• Depression Protocol - Life Extension Foundation
• Safer Estrogen with Phytonutrition - Michael A. Zeligs, M.D. - "The importance of supplementation with DIM is that this approach can decrease estrogen-related breast cancer risk in the majority of women. This includes women taking estrogen, DHEA, phytoestrogen supplements, or no hormonal replacement at all"
• DHEA? Hot on Hormones? - thenutritionreporter.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,”"
• How One Pill Escaped the List of Controlled Steroids - NY Times, 4/17/05
• Natural Female Hormone Replacement - Life Extension Magazine, 4/05
• DHEA May Be Effective for Midlife-Onset Minor and Major Depression - Medscape, 2/8/05
• 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 hardening of the arteries ... 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 iHerb or Vitacost DHEA products. - Ben
• 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

DHEA Abstracts:

• 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"