Correlation between the administered dose of DHEA and serum levels of DHEA and DHEA-S in human volunteers: analysis of published data.
OBJECTIVE
Studies from both experimental animals and humans suggest that administration of exogenous DHEA may have beneficial endocrine-metabolic, immunologic and neurologic effects. Several groups have administered DHEA to humans, but to the best of our knowledge, no one at this point has published a summary of the relationship between the administered dose of DHEA and the serum levels of steroids attained.


METHODS
We summarize the relationship between the administered dose of DHEA and the resulting serum level of DHEA and DHEA-S, in humans, from 18 published articles.


RESULTS
Serum levels of DHEA and DHEA-S increase with increasing doses. Doses above 50 mg/day result in levels that are at or above the upper limit of normal for healthy young adults. At doses above 300 mg/day the increment of serum DHEA and DHEA-S appears to reach a plateau.


CONCLUSIONS
Those wanting to use supplemental DHEA might consider that doses of 300 mg/day are maximal; they clearly result in supraphysiologic concentrations and above this level doses may have increased side effects without significantly increasing the effective level of serum hormone.
Tummala
S
S
Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans, 70112, USA.
Svec
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate