What Should My Dhea Level Be?

DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a steroid hormone that your body produces throughout your life; levels vary with age. DHEA forms the base of other hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Your adrenal glands, which produce DHEA, make less of it as you grow older. While some people take supplements, whether supplements actually slow the aging process is a matter of controversy.

Blood Testing

DHEA testing is not traditionally been performed as a single test. It is usually ordered along with other hormone tests as part of an assessment for disorders of the adrenal glands. DHEA blood tests have long been available; however, according to a 2007 article in "Occupational and Environmental Medicine," saliva testing is a more recent development. There has been more interest in testing DHEA independently because its levels, which are typically highest when you are in your 20s, have been observed to decline with age.

Blood Levels

DHEA levels in your blood at birth are typically less than 11 ng/mL. Levels peak from age 19 to 30, when they measure up to 13 ng/mL. Then they start to drop steadily, until they measure less than 5 ng/mL when you are 61 and older. Once you are 75 years old, your serum DHEA levels will probably be 20 percent or less of what they were at their peak.

High Levels

Serum levels of DHEA that are greater than 5 times normal for your age are usually associated with adrenal tumors that shut down the normal production of sex hormones like androgen, for which DHEA is a precursor. When this happens, DHEA levels start to build up. Slight elevations of DHEA may be self-limited and are not necessarily a problem. DHEA is also precursor for other sex hormones like progesterone and testosterone.

Supplements

Although the use of synthetic DHEA supplements has received attention as an anti-aging therapy, scientific data for this belief is lacking. Although supplements can raise serum DHEA levels, they do not increase muscle strength or physical performance. Neither is body composition changed, contrary to proponents of DHEA therapy. Nonetheless, the supplements are widely available and you can purchase them online and in stores in various doses and without a doctor's prescription.