Replacement of dehydroepiandrosterone enhances T-lymphocyte insulin binding in postmenopausal women.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded crossover trial
What was done
Eleven postmenopausal women participated in a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded crossover trial evaluating 3-week courses of oral micronized DHEA (50 mg/day) with an interarm washout. Twenty-three hours post-dose, investigators measured serum DHEA, DHEAS, total testosterone, free testosterone, and cortisol, alongside fasting lipoproteins, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) parameters, T-lymphocyte insulin binding and degradation, urinary collagen cross-links, and morphometric indices assessed by hydrostatic weighing.
What was found
Treatment increased DHEA, DHEAS, total testosterone, and free testosterone up to two times premenopausal levels. Fasting triglycerides declined, while collagen cross-links, morphometric indices, and OGTT parameters showed no change. Both T-lymphocyte insulin binding and degradation increased with DHEA. Specific numerical values, variances, and significance thresholds were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
The study suggests oral DHEA can modulate peripheral cellular insulin binding and reduce triglycerides in postmenopausal women, though a 50 mg/day dose produces supraphysiologic androgen concentrations.
Limits
The sample size was extremely small (n = 11), and the intervention duration was only 3 weeks. Cellular changes in T-lymphocyte insulin binding did not translate to detectable improvements in whole-body glucose tolerance on OGTT, and no quantitative values or confidence intervals were provided in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Studies investigating DHEA supplementation typically use doses between 25 and 50 milligrams.