DHEA and health: More questions than answers
What is it?
testosteroneestradiolDHEA and aging
Perhaps the most important reason that DHEA has attracted so much attention is its dramatic and puzzling relationship to aging. DHEA production begins during fetal life; in fact, fetal adrenal glands manufacture more than 200 mg daily, nearly 10 times more than the amount adults produce. After birth, though, DHEA production slows to a crawl, and blood levels are very low. That changes about the time of puberty, when levels begin to rise again. In both men and women, DHEA levels peak between age 20 and 30, after which they decline steadily by about 5% a year. At its peak in young men, DHEA achieves blood levels 10 times higher than any other steroid hormone, molecule for molecule. But by the age of 70, it has declined to very low, nearly negligible levels.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online Plus (HHO+) to unlock expert-backed health insights, personalized tools, and exclusive resources to feel your best every day.
Here’s what you get with your HHO+ membership:
- Unlimited access to all Harvard Health Online content
- 4 expertly curated newsletters delivered monthly
- Customized website experience aligned to your health goals
- In-depth health guides on topics like sleep, exercise, and more
- Interactive features like videos and quizzes
- Members-only access to exclusive articles and resources
I’d like to subscribe to HHO+ for $4.99/month to access expert-backed content to help make smart, informed decisions about my well-being.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
