DHEA supplementation: The claims in perspective

ABSTRACT

Deficiency of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is associated with lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer disease, and some cancers, but we are not yet ready to conclude that prescribing supplemental DHEA is helpful in these or any other conditions. DHEA shows some promise in observational clinical studies and laboratory experiments, but we still need large-scale human studies to answer key questions. For now, we do not have enough evidence to recommend routine treatment with DHEA. As with other supplements, quality control is always a concern, and different brands may contain different amounts of active ingredient.