A dose-response and meta-analysis of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation on testosterone levels: perinatal prediction of randomized clinical trials.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PubMed 33045358 · doi:10.1016/j.exger.2020.111110
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science through February 2020 for randomized clinical trials examining the effect of oral DHEA supplementation on circulating testosterone levels. Effect sizes were estimated using weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals, and subgroup analyses evaluated differences across sex, dosage, duration, health status, and age.
What was found
Across 42 publications (55 trial arms), DHEA significantly increased testosterone levels overall (WMD: 28.02 ng/dl, 95% CI: 21.44–34.60, p = 0.00). Subgroup increases were greater in females than males (WMD: 30.98 vs. 21.36 ng/dl); at doses >50 mg/day vs. ≤50 mg/day (WMD: 57.96 vs. 19.43 ng/dl); with intervention duration ≤12 weeks vs. >12 weeks (WMD: 44.64 vs. 19 ng/dl); in healthy participants (WMD: 52.17 ng/dl) vs. postmenopausal women (25.04 ng/dl), pregnant women (16.44 ng/dl), and non-healthy/androgen-deficient cohorts (16.47 ng/dl); and in participants <60 years old vs. >60 years old (WMD: 31.42 vs. 23.93 ng/dl).
Why it matters
This review provides quantitative evidence that oral DHEA consistently raises circulating testosterone, identifying higher doses and female sex as key determinants of larger increases.
Limits
The abstract does not state the total participant sample size, baseline testosterone concentrations, or statistical heterogeneity metrics. Clinical outcomes, functional benefits, and safety profiles were not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports DHEA supplementation does not meaningfully impact men's testosterone levels because the vast majority of male testosterone is produced intratesticularly.