Update on the use of dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation among women with diminished ovarian function.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the role of DHEA supplementation on pregnancy rates in women with diminished ovarian function.


METHODS
This is a case control study of 190 women with diminished ovarian function. The study group includes 89 patients who used supplementation with 75 mg daily of oral, micronized DHEA for up to 4 months prior to entry into in vitro fertilization (IVF). The control group is composed of 101 couples who received infertility treatment, but did not use DHEA. The primary outcome was clinical pregnancy after the patient's initial visit. We developed a Cox proportional hazards model to compare the proportional hazards of pregnancy among women using DHEA with the controls group.


RESULTS
Cumulative clinical pregnancy rates were significantly higher in the study group (25 pregnancies; 28.4% vs. 11 pregnancies; 11.9%; relative hazard of pregnancy in study group (HR 3.8; 95% CI 1.2-11.8; p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
DHEA treatment resulted in significantly higher cumulative pregnancy rates. These data support a beneficial effect of DHEA supplementation among women with diminished ovarian function.
Barad
David
D
Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. dbarad@thechr.com
Brill
Hyama
H
Gleicher
Norbert
N
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008594:Menopause, Premature / Q000187:drug effects; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011292:Premedication / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone