DHEA

dehydroepiandrosterone · prasterone · DHEA-S · dehydroisoandrosterone

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Vaginal atrophy, intravaginal DHEA^1–4 Sexual function after menopause⁵ Poor ovarian response⁶ IVF outcomes in poor responders^6–10 Depressive symptoms¹¹ Adrenal insufficiency¹²	Pregnancy or nursing¹³ Hormone-sensitive cancers¹³ Under age 18¹³

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an adrenal steroid hormone that declines with age and serves as a precursor converted into estrogens and androgens in target tissues¹⁴. Supplementation aims to restore that precursor pool.⁵ It is used for vaginal atrophy and sexual function after menopause⁵, for poor ovarian response in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)⁶, and for depressive symptoms¹¹. Reviews also describe its use in people with adrenal insufficiency.

Evidence is mixed. Meta-analyses in poor ovarian response report improved pregnancy outcomes, but a 2023 analysis restricted to randomized trials found no significant gain in live birth¹⁵. A Cochrane review found no improvement in quality of life in menopausal women, a modest gain in sexual function, and more androgenic effects, mainly acne⁵. Depressive symptoms improved in a meta-analysis, though the quality of evidence was very low¹¹. In women with Sheehan syndrome, a 2022 crossover randomized trial found higher female sexual function scores with DHEA; it was a single small study¹⁶. Products listing DHEA are mostly capsules; see Form comparison.

The main metabolic signal is lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, most evident in women, in a dose-response meta-analysis of randomized trials¹⁷. Per United States (US) product labels, most ask users with heart disease, hormone-sensitive cancers, or on hormone therapy to consult a physician or licensed healthcare professional first¹³.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

84 sources, 68 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources