DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone that can determine the amount of sex hormones you have in your body. Made in the adrenal glands, which sit atop each kidney, DHEA moves on in a biochemical process to create estrogens, testosterone, and corticosteroids. Having an adequate amount of DHEA is important for maintaining good health. However, age as well as certain events and diseases can decrease the amount of DHEA in your body.
Chronic Stress
DHEA is created through a series of biochemical reactions that begin with cholesterol. Along that pathway lies pregnenolone, a hormone that also creates cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, and is produced in abundance during the body's stress response. According to Dr. Michael Lam, during periods of intense stress, the output of cortisol puts an increased demand on pregnenolone. Because pregnenolone production decreases, cortisol and DHEA production can also decrease. The website also shows, in the steroid hormone pathway, that under chronic stress, pregnenolone will produce cortisol rather than DHEA. This phenomenon is known as the "pregnenolone steal," and can account for lower levels of DHEA.
Ovariectomy
According to a study published in July 2010 in "Menopause," in post-menopausal women, presence of ovaries affected DHEA levels. Researchers from the University Hospital Research Center in Quebec, Canada investigated DHEA levels in post-menopausal women between the ages of 42 and 74. They discovered that DHEA levels were 22.4 percent higher in females who had not undergone ovary removal surgery when compared to those who had an ovariectomy, The researchers determined that because sex hormone production is important in preventing diseases like heart disease, these findings may ultimately explain the negative effect of ovary removal on longevity.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a crucial substance in the body. It is the beginning of the steroid hormone synthesis pathway, according to Dr. Lam's website, which is resposible for producing DHEA and sex hormones. If there is a lack of adequate cholesterol in the body, the entire cascade of steroid hormones will be affected. In contrast, if cholesterol levels are high, higher levels of DHEA could result. The "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society" published a study in March of 2010 that looked at the health characteristics and DHEA changes across different age categories. The researchers found that patients with hypertension and high cholesterol had higher levels of DHEA.
Age
Age plays a role in DHEA levels as well. In the above-mentioned study in the "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society," researchers also discovered that with age, particularly in men, levels of DHEA decline. The study also states that low levels of DHEA can play a role in heart conditions.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A substance that is linked to rheumatoid arthritis, tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, can increase inflammation. Studies have found that it can inhibit the conversion of DHEA-s to DHEA. Researchers at the University Hospital in Regensberg, Germany investigated the correlation between TNF and inflammation. Published in "Arthritis and Rheumatism" in June 2005, researchers discovered that TNF blocks the conversion of the biologically inactive sulfate form of DHEA, DHEA-s, to the active DHEA in rheumatoid arthritis cells. DHEA creates androgens, which are anti-inflammatory substances; thus, TNF's reduction of DHEA levels may lead to increased inflammation.
References
- Dr. Lam, MD, MPH, ABAAM: Adrenal Fatigue
- "Menopause"; Wide distribution of the serum dehydroepiandrosterone and sex steroid levels in postmenopausal women: role of the ovary?; Labrie F, Martel C, nd Balser J; July 2010
- "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society"; Cardiovascular disease is associated with greater incident dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate decline in the oldest old: the cardiovascular health study all stars study; JL Sanders et al; March 2010
- "Arthritis and Rheumatism"; Tumor necrosis factor inhibits conversion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) to DHEA in rheumatoid arthritis synovial cells: a prerequisite for local androgen deficiency; Weidler, C et al; June 2005
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