Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a steroid hormone synthesized in your adrenal glands. Your body uses DHEA to make androgen and estrogen, the male and female sex hormones. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library states that it has effects similar to testosterone. Research into the effects of DHEA supplementation in postmenopausal women seeks to discover whether DHEA is a helpful addition to menopausal therapy. Consult your doctor before taking DHEA.
What Is Menopause?
Menopause is commonly thought of as a phase of a woman's life that occurs once her fertility declines, but in fact, menopause consists of just one day. According to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System, menopause is the day on which you haven't had a menstrual period for one full year. What a lot of people think of as menopause is actually perimenopause, the time leading up to menopause, when changes linked to the decline in fertility occur. During perimenopause, your ovaries become more erratic in their production of reproductive hormones. This causes the symptoms commonly associated with being menopausal.
Why DHEA?
The theory behind using DHEA to alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause is based on its status as a sex hormone precursor. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, those who use DHEA as a menopause remedy believe that it offers the same effects of prescription hormone replacement without the side effects, which can include increased risk of breast cancer. There is, however, no proof that DHEA doesn't increase cancer risk.
Does DHEA Work?
Using DHEA as a supplement to relieve the symptoms of perimenopause is controversial, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The results from clinical research into DHEA's effects on sexual function, metabolism and well-being have been mixed, and more research is needed to clarify whether DHEA is a helpful addition to menopausal therapy. A study published in the journal "Menopause" found that intravaginal use of DHEA for 12 weeks helped improve sexual arousal, lubrication and orgasm in 216 postmenopausal women who were experiencing vaginal atrophy.
Considerations
DHEA supplements are most often produced in laboratories from a plant sterol derived from Mexican wild yams, but there is no evidence that your body can convert wild yam into DHEA. UMMC recommends reading supplement labels to ensure that your product contains DHEA rather than wild yam extract. The recommended daily dosage of DHEA for adult females is 25 mg, but this supplement should not be taken without your doctor's approval.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Steven D. Ehrlich; June 2009
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library; Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA); Ara DerMarderosian; May 2009
- "Menopause"; Effect of Intravaginal Dehydroepiandrosterone (Prasterone) On Libido and Sexual Dysfunction in Postmenopausal Women; F. Labrie, et al.; September-October 2009
- "Maturitas"; DHEA for Postmenopausal Women: A Review of the Evidence; M Panjari, et al.; June 2010
