DHEA is dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormone produced mainly in the adrenal gland. Enzymes synthesize DHEA from cholesterol and then build on DHEA to produce other hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. DHEA concentration reaches a peak about the age of 30 and then declines abruptly in women and gradually in men. Because DHEA is the parent molecule for testosterone and estrogen, it should not be used without supervision from a licensed health care professional.
Considerations
Optimal DHEA levels correlate with good health, and lowered DHEA is associated with heart disease, depression, inflammation, metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis. According to the American Cancer Society, numerous clinical studies have focused on DHEA and age-related declines in physiological functions but researchers have not come to a consensus as to whether DHEA is beneficial in all of the areas affected. Therapy with DHEA supplementation improves adrenal insufficiency, depression, obesity and systemic lupus erythematosus. Some, but not all, studies show benefits for bone loss, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disease, cervical cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, induction of labor, ovulation and menopausal disorders, erectile dysfunction, and skin aging.
Effects on Adrenal Insufficiency
Adrenal insufficiency is a term given to a set of dysfunctions, including loss of well-being, low libido, bone loss and obesity. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in 2002 in "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" followed 38 women with adrenal insufficiency for 12 months. The women who received 30 mg per day of DHEA had improved quality of life and libido. No changes occurred in bone mineral density or glucose metabolism.
Effects on Depression
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 15 subjects at the National Institutes of Health evaluated the effects of 90 mg of DHEA for three weeks, followed by three weeks on 450 mg of DHEA. According to the report, published in 1999 in "Biological Psychiatry," 60 percent of the treatment group showed significant improvement in energy, motivation, positive feelings and the capacity to feel joy.
Effects on Obesity
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health showed that DHEA activates a protein involved in fatty acid metabolism in rats and cell culture in a study published in "Molecular Pharmacology" in 1996. Dennis T. Villareal, M.D., and co-workers used this finding as the basis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in "The Journal of the American Medical Association" in 2004. Fifty-six elderly subjects received DHEA supplementation at 50 mg per day for six months, during which abdominal fat decreased 10.2 percent and insulin sensitivity increased by 34 percent. The discrepancies with other studies showing no effect of DHEA on obesity may be due to the various hormonal states of the subjects. More meaningful and consistent data will result from using larger populations.
Effects on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that causes fever, pain and fatigue in many parts of the body, including skin, heart, joints and lung. The cause is not known, but various triggers include sun exposure and changes in hormones. According to a review published in "Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy," 200 mg per day of DHEA showed promise as a treatment for this disease. R. F. van Vollenhoven summarized the results of five small, controlled clinical trials lasting seven to 12 months. DHEA reduced the need for steroid medications and demonstrated activity against osteoporosis and other symptoms of the disease.
References
- "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism": DHEA in Women with Adrenal Insufficiency
- "Biological Psychiatry": Dehydroepiandrosterone in Depression
- "Molecular Pharmacology": Gene Induction by Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate
- "The Journal of the American Medical Association": Effect of DHEA on Abdominal Fat
- "Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy": DHEA for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
