special subjects
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
Evidence
The medicinal claims of DHEA have not been fully supported by the evidence. In addition, DHEA is banned by numerous professional sports organizations as it is classified as a "prohormone." DHEA levels are known to naturally decrease with age and therefore people in search of the unattainable fountain of youth have turned to DHEA supplementation as a possible solution to ailments associated with age. Studies have been reported showing both positive and negative results. More thorough studies are warranted not only with aging but with all clinical health conditions. An analysis of data from 4 randomized controlled trials in women and men aged ≥ 55 years found that daily supplementation of DHEA compared to placebo resulted in significant increases in lumbar spine and trochanter bone mineral density in women but not men, although men had a significant decrease in fat mass ( References ). A 2013 meta-analysis of data collected from studying 1353 older men in a number of trials indicated that DHEA supplementation was associated with a reduction of fat mass; however, no effect was observed for numerous other clinical parameters, including lipid and glycemic metabolism, bone health, sexual function, or quality of life ( References ). A similar analysis was performed in women with adrenal insufficiency and indicated that DHEA supplementation may improve the quality of life and symptoms of depression, while having no effect on anxiety and sexual well-being ( A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials in 853 subjects reported that, compared to placebo, DHEA significantly improved depressive symptoms. However, the authors stated there was low quality of evidence because included studies had small populations with varying psychiatric diagnoses, and the results were divergent ( References ). A 2006 systematic review of 5 studies found little evidence of a beneficial effect of DHEA supplementation on cognitive function of middle‐aged or older people who did not have dementia ( References ). The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) guidelines on complementary and alternative medicine treatments for depression treatment have stated that DHEA may be considered as third-line treatment for depression ( References ). 