DHEAS is the most abundant circulating steroid hormone in man and is readily converted to DHEA which is a potent non-competitive inhibitor of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, the rate limiting enzyme of the pentose cycle. Several studies suggest a key role of DHEAS in obesity, lipid metabolism, cellular proliferation, and atherosclerosis. Barrett-Connor in 1986 reported that low levels of this hormone were a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in men. Other studies report that administration of DHEAS to laboratory animals appears to delay aging, prevent obesity, and lower serum cholesterol levels.