Lee Swanson Research Update

DHEA is Protective against Heart Disease in Older Men

December 2003

Japanese researchers wanted to know how much influence DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) has on the body so they initiated a study. Their premise was "DHEA concentration decreases with age. There is evidence that DHEA has a protective effect against age-related disorders, including cardiovascular disease."

Researchers administered 25 mg of DHEA per day to 12 older men (mean age 54 years) and a placebo to 12 controls for 12 weeks. Epithelial function, a marker of arterial flexibility, improved in the DHEA-treated men after four weeks and these subjects also experienced significant reductions in blood-sugar levels without altered insulin levels.

The scientists concluded that "low dose DHEA supplementation improves vascular endothelial function and insulin sensitivity and decreases the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 concentration. These beneficial changes have the potential to attenuate the development of age-related disorders such as cardiovascular disease."

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology 88(7):3190-3195, 2003

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