Dehydroepiandrosterone replacement therapy in older adults: 1- and 2-y effects on bone.

Study answer

What this study found

DHEA improved lumbar spine bone mineral density in older women, but not in men, while hip and whole-body BMD did not change in either sex. In year 1, women receiving DHEA had a 1.8 ± 0.4% increase in lumbar spine BMD versus no change with placebo, and men had a 1.7 ± 0.3% increase with DHEA versus 1.1 ± 0.3% with placebo. Over 2 years, spine BMD gains were maintained or increased in women, including 3.6 ± 0.7% in women on 2 years of DHEA and 2.1 ± 0.7% in women who crossed over from placebo. In women, DHEA also increased IGF-1, estradiol, and total testosterone, while HDL decreased by 4.5…

Study & population

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial in sedentary, nonsmoking adults aged 65 to 75 years.

Intervention

Oral DHEA 50 mg/day was given daily for 12 months in the randomized phase, with all participants also receiving vitamin D 16 µg/day (650 IU) and calcium 700 mg/day.

Key limitation

Effects were sex-specific, limiting generalizability to men.

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Original abstract