DHEA in Elderly Women and DHEA or Testosterone in Elderly Men

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 355; no. 16; pp. 1647 - 1659
• Main Authors: Nair, K. Sreekumaran, Rizza, Robert A, O'Brien, Peter, Dhatariya, Ketan, Short, Kevin R, Nehra, Ajay, Vittone, Janet L, Klee, George G, Basu, Ananda, Basu, Rita, Cobelli, Claudio, Toffolo, Gianna, Man, Chiara Dalla, Tindall, Donald J, Melton, L. Joseph, Smith, Glenn E, Khosla, Sundeep, Jensen, Michael D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 19.10.2006
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aging; Aging - drug effects; Androgens; Biological and medical sciences; Body Composition - drug effects; Bone density; Bone Density - drug effects; Dehydroepiandrosterone - administration & dosage; Dehydroepiandrosterone - adverse effects; Dehydroepiandrosterone - blood; Double-Blind Method; Estradiol - blood; Female; General aspects; Hormone Replacement Therapy - adverse effects; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Older people; Physical Fitness; Quality of Life; Testosterone - administration & dosage; Testosterone - adverse effects; Testosterone - blood; Treatment Failure; Women; Human; Medicine; Testosterone; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Androgen; Adult; Female; Male; Sex steroid hormone; Elderly
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa054629

This 2-year controlled, randomized, double-blind study examined the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in women and DHEA or testosterone in men, as compared with placebo. Neither DHEA nor low-dose testosterone replacement in the elderly subjects had physiologically relevant beneficial effects on body composition, physical performance, insulin sensitivity, or quality of life. The results of this study do not support the use of these agents as antiaging supplements. Neither DHEA nor low-dose testosterone replacement in elderly subjects had physiologically relevant beneficial effects on body composition, physical performance, insulin sensitivity, or quality of life. The results of this study do not support the use of these agents as antiaging supplements. With the rapid increase in the population of people 60 years of age and older, considerable research is being focused on how to prevent or delay age-related disabilities. One approach is to replace hormones whose levels decline with age. Levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form, the most abundant steroid hormone in the circulation, decline from the third decade onward. 1 , 2 Studies in animals have shown beneficial effects of DHEA on many age-related changes in body composition and in conditions such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. 3 These findings in experimental models have generally been supported by observational studies . . .