Second to cholesterol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is normally the most abundant steroid in the body. A large volume of data supports the notion that DHEA is vitally important in the day-to-day function of the healthy human organism. (Life Extension Disease Prevention and Treatment, 4th Edition. Segala, Lea, Davis, eds. DHEA replacement therapy. 2003:641-49)
However, after the age of 35-40 years, most individuals—both men and women—are relatively deficient in DHEA. Many researchers consider this deficit to be at the root of a plethora of human ills.
Since 1981, the Life Extension Foundation has touted the anti-aging benefits of DHEA. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s, though, that DHEA’s role in human aging—and, more specifically, the benefits of DHEA replacement in aging individuals—gained some scientific credibility.
However, the potential benefits of DHEA supplementation are still not widely acknowledged by practitioners of mainstream medicine. Even though DHEA is a precursor to several hormones that decline because of age, disease, or the use of prescription medications, replacement of DHEA is often viewed as unhelpful or, worse, dangerous.
DHEA, Immunity, and Chronic Inflammation
- Chronic inflammatory disease is almost an accepted part of growing old in the US. With advancing age, levels of inflammatory cytokines—tumor necrosis factor, inflammatory interleukins, leukotrienes, etc.—increase, contributing to autoimmune and degenerative illnesses.
- DHEA inhibits inflammatory cytokines while potentiating the effects of anti-inflammatory molecules, thus interrupting an inflammatory cycle that can affect a number of organ systems. (Kipper-Galperin M et al. DHEA selectively inhibits production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 in astrocytes. Int J Dev Neurosci 1999; 17: 765-75)
- DHEA appears to support healthy immunity, and replenishment during aging may help to thwart viral replication, increase the levels and activity of desirable cytokines and white cells, and block the proliferation of tumor cells. (Straub RH et al. Serum DHEA and DHEA-S are negatively correlated with serum IL-6, and DHEA inhibits secretion from mononuclear cells in man in vitro: possible link between endocrinosenescence and immunosenescence. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998; 83:2012-17)
DHEA and Depression
- Physicians often report an improvement in older patients’ depression following the administration of testosterone or estrogen. Since the 1950s, DHEA replacement has been associated with improvement in depressive symptoms.
- Multiple studies show a correlation between low DHEA levels and depression, and research shows that depression and dysthymia improve with DHEA supplementation. (Bloch M, et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone treatment of midlife dysthymia. Biol Psychiatry. 1999;45(12):1533-41)
DHEA and Alzheimer’s Dementia
- DHEA is abundant in the human brain; indeed, it is manufactured there.
- While some experts believe that DHEA helps to protect the aging brain, evidence is mounting that it offers limited benefit in the treatment or prevention of the cognitive deficits that define Alzheimer’s dementia. (Wolkowitz O, et al. DHEA treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurology 2003;60:1071-76 and Lu P, et al. Effects of testosterone on cognition and mood in male patients with mild Alzheimer disease and healthy elderly men.Arch Neurol. 2006;63:177-85)
DHEA and Sexual Function
- DHEA is normally metabolized to both estrogen and testosterone.
- Repletion of sex hormones in older persons improves libido and energy levels in both men and women. (Arlt W. Androgen therapy in women. European Journal of Endocrinology. 2006;154(1):1-11)
DHEA Precautions
- Although DHEA has gained acceptance among practitioners of anti-aging medicine, it should not be taken with impunity.
- Most experts recommend measurement of serum DHEA levels before and during supplementation.
- Antioxidant supplements that protect the liver, such as green tea, vitamin E, or N-acetyl-cysteine, should be taken concurrently with DHEA.
- Individuals who have been diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer should consult a physician before taking DHEA, as higher levels of sex hormones could theoretically aggravate these conditions.
