DHEA

DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a steroid hormone.  It is metabolized into DHEA-Sulphate and into other hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, so I would consider it under the clinical imbalance of Communication.  Symptoms of low DHEA could include those typically associated with low levels of testosterone or estrogen, such as loss of bone mineral density, which would be part of the Structural Integrity clinical imbalance.  Levels of DHEA typically decrease with age, and it may also be low if the adrenals are not functioning properly to produce it.  A 1996 study by  Guazzo et al. Found the highest blood level of DHEA among their participants to be just over 60 nanomols/L in a 30 year old, and a 2015 study by Lennartsson et al. found that 25-34 year olds who had experienced chronic stress leading to burnout had DHEA Sulphate levels 25% lower than the 8 micromols/L of the controls. 

 

Synthetic DHEA can be absorbed either through ingestion or through the skin when used as a topical cream.  (Labrie) It is excreted in the urine.  (Martinez)  One side effect found by Schmidt et al. In 2005 was acne, which is commonly associated with high testosterone.  They found DHEA to be effective for mid-life depression. 

 

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on DHEA for depression found that doses from 25-400 mg were studied, with 50 mg being the most common.  Doses as low as 5 mg are available otc.  Consumer lab tested ten DHEA products and found they all contained between 100% and 125% of the stated amount of DHEA.  Vitacost brand 25 mg was the lowest cost of the ones they tested. 

 

References:

 

Cooperman, T. (Ed.). (2015, July 18). DHEA Supplements Review. ConsumerLab.com.

 

Guazzo EP, Kirkpatrick PJ, Goodyer IM, Shiers HM, Herbert J. Cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and DHEA sulfate in the cerebrospinal fluid of man: relation to blood levels and the effects of age. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 1996;81(11):3951-3960. 

 

Labrie, F., Bélanger, A., Labrie, C., Candas, B., Cusan, L., & Gomez, J. L. (2007). Bioavailability and metabolism of oral and percutaneous dehydroepiandrosterone in postmenopausal women. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 107(1), 57–69. 

 

Lennartsson A-K, Theorell T, Kushnir MM, Jonsdottir IH. Low Levels of Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate in Younger Burnout Patients. PloS one. 2015;10(10):e0140054. 

 

Martinez-Brito D, Notarianni ML, Iannone M, de la Torre X, Botrè F. Validation of steroid sulfates deconjugation for metabolic studies. Application to human urine samples. Journal of pharmacological and toxicological methods. 2020;106:106938. 

 

Papierska L, Rabijewski M, Kasperlik-Załuska A, Zgliczyński W. Effect of DHEA supplementation on serum IGF-1, osteocalcin, and bone mineral density in postmenopausal, glucocorticoid-treated women. Advances in Medical Sciences. 2012;57(1):51-57. 

 

Peixoto C, José Grande A, Gomes Carrilho C, Nardi AE, Cardoso A, Barciela Veras A. Dehydroepiandrosterone for depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of neuroscience research. 2020;98(12):2510-2528. 

 

Schmidt PJ, Daly RC, Bloch M, et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone monotherapy in midlife-onset major and minor depression. Archives of general psychiatry. 2005;62(2):154-162.