DHEA

“In women, dehydroepiandrosterone is an important source
of oestrogens in the body – it provides about 75%
of oestrogens before the menopause, and 100%…”.1

Umbrella

What may the DHEA Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
  • Prasterone
  • Synthetic Versions – Fidelin, Fluasterone, Prastera and Prasterone

Definition

What is dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)?

DotS the definition of DHEA may vary. In Dehydroepiandrosterone: What Is Dehydroepiandrosterone? the (United States) You and Your Hormones, an education resource from the Society for Endocrinology’s (NCCIH), definition is:

“Dehydroepiandrosterone is a precursor hormone, which means it has little biological effect on its own, but has powerful effects when converted into other hormones such as testosterone and oestradiol”.2

Oestrogen

What is the association between DHEA and oestrogen?

In Dehydroepiandrosterone: What Is Dehydroepiandrosterone? You and Your Hormones explain:

“In women, dehydroepiandrosterone is an important source of oestrogens in the body – it provides about 75% of oestrogens before the menopause, and 100% of oestrogens in the body after menopause”.3

Women

What is the association between DHEA and women?

In Dehydroepiandrosterone: What happens If I Have Too Little Dehydroepiandrosterone? You and Your Hormones note:

“In women, low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone are associated with low libido, reduced bone mineral density and osteoporosis. However, supplementation with commercially available dehydroepiandrosterone is not recommended as there is concern about numerous possible side-effects”.4

Aging

Is there an association between aging and DHEA?

In DHEA: What the Research Says, dated 10 August 2023, the (United States) Mayo Clinic note:

  • “Aging. In theory, taking DHEA supplements to maintain DHEA levels could slow the aging process, possibly improving well-being, cognitive function and body composition. But so far research hasn’t proved this to be true. More studies are needed to better understand whether DHEA supplementation can counteract some of the effects of aging. A small study suggested that taking DHEA supplements might improve skin hydration and firmness, and decrease aging spots in elderly adults”.5

Vaginal Atrophy

How effective is DHEA for the treatment of vaginal atrophy?

In DHEA: What the Research Says the Mayo Clinic note:

  • “Vaginal atrophy. Limited research suggests that DHEA might improve vaginal dryness in postmenopausal women”.6

On page two in Vaginal Dryness: Treatment Options – Other Prescription Therapies the North American Menopause Society (now the Menopause Society) explain:

  • “Dehydroepiandrasterone (DHEA; Prasterone) is a hormone-containing insert placed in the vagina nightly that reduces vaginal dryness and discomfort with sexual activity”.7

In DHEA: How Effective Is It? the (United States) MedlinePlus note the effectiveness rating is:

“Likely Effective for…

  • Thinning of vaginal tissue (vaginal atrophy). Using vaginal inserts containing DHEA can reduce pain during sex by up to 15% after menopause. A prescription DHEA product is available for this condition”.8

Postmenopausal Sexual Dysfunction

How effective is DHEA for the treatment of postmenopausal sexual dysfunction?

In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Considerations for All Women At Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy, published online 30 October 2023, the authors explain:

“With respect to androgen therapy, the Global Consensus Position Statement advises the following:

  • Oral DHEA is not effective for the treatment of postmenopausal sexual dysfunction. In addition, systemic DHEA has not been found to be clinically beneficial for the treatment or prevention of any other symptoms or conditions”.9

Dietary Supplement

Is DHEA available as a dietary supplement?

DotC (Depending on the Country) DHEA may be available as a dietary supplement. In DHEA: Overview the Mayo Clinic explain:

“A synthetic version of DHEA is available as a tablet, capsule, powder, topical cream and gel”.10

Safe or Not

Are DHEA supplements safe?

In DHEA: Safety and Side Effects the Mayo Clinic explain the safety and side effects of DHEA and elaborate on possible medication interactions.

In The Utilization of Dehydroepiandrosterone As A Sexual Hormone Precursor In Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: An Overview: 6. Conclusions, published online 29 December 2021, the authors elaborate on:

“By focusing on anti-aging properties of DHEA, it may be appealing to take DHEA during midlife or late life since this hormone is sold over the counter and on the internet. However, DHEA supplements for both premenopausal and postmenopausal women are not advised due to unknown long-term effects. DHEA is a precursor for many androgenic and estrogenic entities, and its metabolic pathways may differ between genders and among ages. The efficacy of DHEA has been studied in inadequate sample sizes, thus yielding inconsistent results in postmenopausal women. Therefore, large-scale randomized, controlled trials, with comparable dosages and adequate treatment durations are warranted to further understand the risks and benefits of DHEA, and draw reliable conclusions”.11

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use DHEA supplements?

If you choose to use DHEA supplements it may be in your best interest to also choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to DHEA?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to DHEA?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. Adrenal Hormones: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
  2. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  3. BMS Statement on Testosterone
  4. BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
  5. BMS TV: Urogenital Atrophy
  6. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
  7. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
  8. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  9. DHEA
  10. DHEA
  11. DHEA: Safety and Side Effects
  12. Dehydroepiandrosterone
  13. Dehydroepiandrosterone for Women In the Peri- or Postmenopausal Phase
  14. Dietary Supplements
  15. Endometrial Safety of Low-Dose Vaginal Estrogens
  16. Endometrial Safety of Low-Dose Vaginal Estrogens [Video]
  17. FAQs: Your Sexual Health
  18. FDA 101: Dietary Supplements
  19. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  20. Find An AMS Member [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  21. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  22. First Symptoms of Menopause
  23. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  24. HRT Questions Answered
  25. Here’s What You Need To Know About Menopause [Video]
  26. Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements
  27. Is It Really ‘FDA Approved?’
  28. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  29. Lack of Evidence Supporting DHEA for Improved Overall Health for Women
  30. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms of Menopause [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP] [Other Languages and Formats]
  31. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing, Intimacy and Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Is the End of Your Sex Life] [Other Languages and Formats]
  32. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Treating Menopause Symptoms [+ Video: Does the Menopause Happen Suddenly] [Other Languages and Formats]
  33. Lubricant Alternatives: What To Use and What To Avoid
  34. Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [Video]
  35. Mayo Clinic Q and A: Dietary Supplements Useful In Some Situations, But Also Can Be Harmful
  36. Menopause
  37. Menopause
  38. Menopause
  39. Menopause
    DHEA
  40. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
  41. Menopause Patient Information: 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
  42. Menopause Patient Information: 5. Lifestyle Advice In Menopause & Perimenopause [Video]
  43. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated With Menopause and Midlife
  44. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
  45. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  46. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  47. Menopause What Are the Symptoms?
  48. Menopause and Natural Therapies
  49. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
    DHEA
  50. Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024
  51. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  52. Mixing Medications and Dietary Supplements Can Endanger Your Health
  53. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Dietary and Herbal Supplements
  54. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
  55. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  56. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better
  57. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Soy
  58. Natural Remedies To Help Manage Perimenopause Symptoms
  59. Natural Therapies
  60. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  61. Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
  62. Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
  63. Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
    DHEA
  64. Prescribing Testosterone and DHEA: The Role of Androgens In Women
  65. Prosayla Supported By ISSWSH [International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health]
  66. Safety of Natural Therapies
  67. Sex and Sexual Health
  68. Supplementation of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) In Pre-and Postmenopausal Women – Position Statement of Expert Panel of Polish Menopause and Andropause Society
  69. Supplements for Menopause Symptoms: Are They Safe?
  70. The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
  71. The Utilization of Dehydroepiandrosterone As A Sexual Hormone Precursor In Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: An Overview
  72. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  73. Urogenital Problems: Vaginal Atrophy: Vaginal Dryness, Soreness and Painful Sex
  74. Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
  75. Vaginal Atrophy
  76. Vaginal Dehydroepiandrosterone Compared To Other Methods of Treating Vaginal and Vulvar Atrophy Associated With Menopause
  77. Vaginal Dryness
  78. Vaginal Dryness
  79. Vaginal Dryness
  80. Vaginal Dryness After Menopause: How To Treat It? I’m postmenopausal and often have vaginal dryness, which makes intercourse painful. Is there anything I can do about it?
  81. Vaginal Dryness Alternative Treatments
  82. Vaginal Dryness: Treatment Options – Other Prescription Therapies – Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
  83. Vaginal Dryness: What To Do About It
  84. Vaginal Oestrogen
  85. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies [18 October 2024]
  86. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Preventing Bone Loss At Menopause
  87. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Is Testosterone the Answer To Low Libido?
  88. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – What Women Should Know About Menopause and Brain Fog
  89. Webinars: Previous – Non-Hormonal Pharmacological Interventions For VMS
  90. Webinars: Previous – Non-Pharmacological Interventions For VMS
  91. Webinars: Previous – Non-Pharmacological Interventions For VMS
  92. What Is the Menopause?DHEA
  93. What Types of Vaginal Oestrogens Are There?
  94. Which Vaginal Moisturiser Should You Use?
  95. Wild Yam
  96. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women [Multiply Languages]

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Dehydroepiandrosterone: What Is Dehydroepiandrosterone? Last Reviewed: June 2020. You and Your Hormones https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/dehydroepiandrosterone/ Accessed: 07 February 2025
  2. Dehydroepiandrosterone: What Is Dehydroepiandrosterone? Last Reviewed: June 2020. You and Your Hormones https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/dehydroepiandrosterone/ Accessed: 07 February 2025
  3. Dehydroepiandrosterone: What Is Dehydroepiandrosterone? Last Reviewed: June 2020. You and Your Hormones https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/dehydroepiandrosterone/ Accessed: 07 February 2025
  4. Dehydroepiandrosterone: What happens If I Have Too Little Dehydroepiandrosterone? Last Reviewed: June 2020. You and Your Hormones https://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/dehydroepiandrosterone/ Accessed: 07 February 2025
  5. DHEA: What the Research Says. 10 August 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-dhea/art-20364199 Accessed: 07 February 2025
  6. DHEA: What the Research Says. 10 August 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-dhea/art-20364199 Accessed: 07 February 2025
  7. Vaginal Dryness: Treatment Options – Other Prescription Therapies. 2022:2. North American Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/for-women/mn-vaginal-dryness_4e454569-8d3c-4346-a00b-515f46b378c9.pdf Accessed: 07 February 2025
  8. DHEA: How Effective Is It? Last Reviewed: 24 July 2023. MedlinePlus https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/331.html Accessed: 07 February 2025
  9. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Considerations for All Women At Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy. First Published Online: 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 07 February 2025
  10. DHEA: Overview. 10 August 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-dhea/art-20364199 Accessed: 07 February 2025
  11. Tang, J., Chen, L-R., and Chen,K-H. The Utilization of Dehydroepiandrosterone As A Sexual Hormone Precursor In Premenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: An Overview: 6. Conclusions. Published Online: 29 December 2021 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8781653/ Accessed: 07 February 2025
Topic Last Updated: 07 February 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 07 February 2025

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