DHEA Studied for Weight Management and Metabolic Variables

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supports weight management, as well as various metabolic factors in overweight women, according to a December 2011 study. DHEA is a steroid hormone produced primarily by the adrenal glands and is a precursor to other steroid hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. DHEA is known to decline with aging.

According to prior research, DHEA appears to be effective against certain features of metabolic syndrome. However, the researchers believe this is the first study that evaluates the usefulness of DHEA against this syndrome as a whole.

In the current study, researchers asked 61 overweight pre- and postmenopausal women to take 100 mg DHEA or a placebo daily for three months. The scientists assessed the women for anthropometric measurements such as body weight and waist-hip ratio at the beginning of the study and again after the supplementation period. Also, researchers evaluated the subjects for metabolic factors associated with suboptimal cardiovascular health, including blood glucose and blood pressure.

In both the pre-and postmenopausal women, the subjects supplemented with DHEA experienced a reduction in body weight. In addition, the postmenopausal women experienced a reduction in waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, blood glucose and other metabolic syndrome parameters. In the DHEA group, there also was a significant reduction in the participants' total metabolic syndrome score.

The study authors concluded that DHEA supplementation enhanced weight loss in overweight women and optimized plasma biochemical levels and anthropometric characteristics, resulting in a better metabolic profile in postmenopausal women.

Reference:

Gomez-Santos C, Hernandez-Morante J, Tebar F, Granero E, Garaulet M. Differential Effect of Oral Dehydroepiandrosterone-Sulphate on Metabolic Syndrome Features in Pre- and Postmenopausal Obese Women. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2011 Dec 2. Published Online Ahead of Print.