DHEA is a hormone made by your adrenal glands, and in blood you usually measure the stable form DHEA-S (DHEA-sulphate). It is one of the most abundant hormones in your body and works mainly as a precursor: your body partly converts it into testosterone and oestrogen. From about age 25, DHEA-S falls steadily, to as little as a fifth of its peak in older age.
A low DHEA is rarely the only explanation for symptoms in men. Still, the value gives useful context next to your testosterone.
What are DHEA and DHEA-S?
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is an androgen from your adrenal glands. In blood you almost always measure DHEA-S, the sulphated form, because it is more stable and swings less across the day. DHEA-S acts as a raw material: your body turns it into testosterone and oestradiol in the tissues.
After the testicles, your adrenal glands are the second source of androgens in men. DHEA-S is the most commonly measured of these. Because the sulphate form stays in your blood longer, a single measurement gives a fairly stable picture.
What is a normal DHEA value?
There is no single normal number, because DHEA-S depends strongly on your age and sex. In men the value is highest in the twenties and falls steadily after that (Orentreich et al., 1984). Labs therefore give age-specific reference ranges.
| DHEA-S in men | What it may sometimes suggest | What your doctor often checks alongside |
|---|---|---|
| Low for your age | Normal ageing, sometimes long-term stress or corticosteroids | Testosterone, cortisol, your symptom pattern |
| Normal for your age | Adrenal androgen production within the expected range | Usually no further action needed |
| Clearly raised | An adrenal source of androgens, rarely an adrenal growth | Androstenedione, 17-OH-progesterone, testosterone |
What can a low DHEA (deficiency) mean?
In men a low DHEA-S often simply fits with getting older. Sometimes it goes with long-term stress, the use of corticosteroids, or reduced adrenal function. The symptoms people link to it, such as fatigue and low energy, are not very specific.
Research into DHEA supplementation in healthy men with an age-related decline showed limited effects (Arlt, 2001). A low DHEA-S in older men has also been linked to higher mortality (Ohlsson et al., 2010), though this is an association and not a proven cause.
What can a high DHEA mean?
A clearly raised DHEA-S is rarer and deserves attention. It can point to an adrenal issue, such as a benign or malignant adrenal growth or a congenital adrenal condition. With a strongly raised value your doctor often looks at additional hormones such as androstenedione.
Which symptoms do people link to a low DHEA?
People often link a low DHEA-S to fatigue, low energy, lower libido and a low mood. Yet those symptoms are not very specific. They fit just as well with poor sleep, stress, a low testosterone or an underactive thyroid.
So a low DHEA-S on its own says little about the cause. It is a clue, not an answer.
For doctors, DHEA-S is mainly useful to gauge adrenal androgen output. A low number fits with normal ageing, a strongly raised number tends to call for explanation.
Picture a man of 55 with less energy and a normal testosterone. His DHEA-S turns out low for his age. That is not a diagnosis in itself, but it gives his doctor an extra puzzle piece next to sleep, weight and stress. Often it only becomes useful together with the other hormones.
What can influence your DHEA value?
Age is by far the biggest factor. Beyond that, long-term stress, certain medicines such as corticosteroids, and your overall adrenal health can affect the value. DHEA is also sold as a dietary supplement, but in the Netherlands it is not a registered medicine, and the research into its effects is mixed (Arlt, 2001). What makes sense for you is something to discuss with your GP.
How do you get DHEA-S measured?
DHEA-S swings little across the day, so a strict morning sample matters less than for testosterone. The value appears on broader hormone panels. To map your adrenal androgen, you can have your DHEA-S value measured, often together with your other hormones in the Hormones Man test. If you only want to track this one hormone, the standalone DHEA-S test measures exactly that value.
Reliable Dutch-language patient information on hormone complaints is maintained by GPs at Thuisarts.nl.
My advice: do not read DHEA-S on its own, but alongside your testosterone and your symptoms. You will find more context in our overview of male sex hormones and in the pillar on male hormonal health. If you see an abnormal value, discuss it with your GP.
Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.
Sources
- Orentreich N, et al. Age changes and sex differences in serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations throughout adulthood. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984. PMID 6235241.
- Arlt W. Dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation in healthy men with an age-related decline of dehydroepiandrosterone secretion. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001. PMID 11600526.
- Ohlsson C, et al. Low serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate predict all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in elderly Swedish men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010. PMID 20610590.
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