IGF-1 helps with muscle growth and insulin sensitivity. Signs and symptoms in women include:. In girls it can cause enlargement of the external genitals and abnormal periods.
You may also have tests to check your levels of estrogen, testosterone, and other sex hormones. You may have an adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH test. Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, the method used for the test, and other things.
Your test results may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you. Normal levels vary with age and sex. If you have a normal level, it means your adrenal glands are working the way they should. This excess may be related to adrenal cancer, tumors, or excess growth of adrenal hormone-producing tissue hyperplasia. People use DHEA as an anti-aging therapy and to improve physical performance. DHEA is also used to treat depression and symptoms of menopause.
Research on the effects of DHEA on muscle strength and physical performance had mixed results, but most studies indicate DHEA supplementation has no effect on muscle strength in younger or older adults.
DHEA might eventually prove to have benefits in treating people diagnosed with certain conditions, such as adrenal insufficiency and lupus.
However, further studies are needed. While some research suggests that DHEA might be slightly helpful in treating depression and vaginal atrophy, there's little evidence to support anti-aging claims.
Also, DHEA use can cause serious side effects. Avoid using this supplement. DHEA is a hormone. Use of this supplement might increase levels of androgen and have a steroid effect. DHEA also might increase the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, including prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. If you have any form of cancer or are at risk of cancer, don't use DHEA. Consider avoiding use of DHEA if you have high cholesterol or a condition that affects the supply of blood to the heart ischemic heart disease.
Use of DHEA also might worsen psychiatric disorders and increase the risk of mania in people who have mood disorders. That means that the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissue. Several studies show that taking DHEA along with other medications helps improve quality of life for people with lupus, though it probably does not change the overall course of their disease. Several studies have found that some people who take DHEA supplements may be able take less prescription medication.
DHEA may also reduce the frequency of flare ups, enhance mental function, and boost bone mass in women with lupus. One study found that a lower dose -- 20 to 30 mg -- might also work. Most of these studies have been small. So more studies are needed to determine whether DHEA is safe and effective for people with lupus. DHEA is one of the hormones made by the adrenal glands. With adrenal insufficiency, the adrenal glands do not make enough hormones, including DHEA and cortisol.
That happens either because of problems with the pituitary gland or damage to the adrenal glands themselves also called Addison's disease. Several studies suggest that taking DHEA may help improve mood, fatigue, and well being.
In one study, women with this condition who took DHEA supplements reported improved sexuality and sense of well being, including fewer feelings of depression and anxiety. Adrenal insufficiency requires a doctor's care. You shouldn't take DHEA on your own for adrenal insufficiency. Severe adrenal insufficiency can be a medical emergency, especially when first diagnosed.
A few studies of people with major depression found that DHEA improved symptoms compared to placebo. The results aren't entirely clear, and researchers don't know what the long-term effects of taking DHEA might be.
More research is needed. DO NOT try to treat depression by yourself. People with depression need medical care. Preliminary studies suggest that DHEA may help reduce bone loss in older women. It doesn't seem to have the same effect in men. And in one study it didn't help women who were under age Studies using DHEA to treat overweight people have found conflicting results. Animal studies have found DHEA to help reduce body weight. Human studies found that taking DHEA didn't change total body weight.
But it did improve total body fat and LDL "bad" cholesterol. However, more research is needed to know whether DHEA really helps. Research suggests that DHEA may help improve sex drive in older women but not younger women. More studies are needed. Since DHEA levels decline with age, some researchers have investigated whether taking DHEA supplements could slow or prevent age-related mental or physical problems. People in the study didn't have any improvement in muscle function and strength.
Another study found that men and women over 60 who took DHEA for 2 years didn't have any improvement in bone density, muscle strength, insulin sensitivity, or quality of life. But other studies have not found any improvement.
And these levels decrease even more as the disease progresses. DHEA has been popular among perimenopausal women, seeking relief from menopausal symptoms, including decreased sex drive, diminished skin tone, and vaginal dryness. Studies have been mixed. Preliminary studies show DHEA supplements raised levels of some hormones in postmenopausal women. However, DHEA supplementation in healthy pre- and postmenopausal women is controversial.
Clinical studies show conflicting results as to whether DHEA can improve sexual function, metabolism, and overall well being. More studies are needed to determine whether DHEA is safe and effective. People who believe in using DHEA claim that it relieves menopausal symptoms without increasing the risk of breast cancer or cancer of the lining of the uterus -- unlike prescription hormone replacement therapy, which does increase risk of these cancers.
But there is no proof that DHEA does not also increase risk of these cancers. People with a history of cancer, or who are at high risk for cancer should not take DHEA without their doctor's supervision.
DHEA can be converted into either estrogen or testosterone in the body, which may be dangerous for women or men with a history of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast or prostate cancer.
Women with breast cancer tend to have low levels of DHEA in their bodies. Scientists don't know whether taking DHEA may increase or reduce growth of breast cancer cells. DHEA levels appear to be low in people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. But the study wasn't well designed. Studies suggest that DHEA supplementation may be beneficial for other health conditions, including infertility, schizophrenia, cocaine withdrawal, anorexia nervosa, and dementia.
Most DHEA supplements are produced in laboratories from diosgenin, a plant sterol extracted from Mexican wild yams Dioscorea villosa. Some extracts from wild yams are marketed as "natural DHEA. But this is not true. Your body can't covert those extracts into DHEA.
For this reason, it is best to look for labels that list DHEA rather than diosgenin or wild yam extract. It is important to choose high quality DHEA supplements. Phytoestrogens are a natural compound found in plants. When eaten, they may affect a person in the same way as estrogen produced by the body.
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