Antidote to the Diseases of Aging - DHEA - The Mother Hormone

The Youth and Health Hormone

By C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.

DHEA or dehydroepiandrosterone, the most abundant hormone in humans and mammals, is an essential component in many physiological functions. It plays a major role in the immune system; it is a building block for sexual and other hormones; and it determines general levels of well-being and mood. Although we have known about DHEA for almost 50 years, there have been relatively few clinical studies until the last decade. However, research shows that DHEA may be the most critical single chemical in the body in predicting disease or health.

Stress Depresses DHEA

DHEA is deficient in every major disease, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, various immune deficiencies, coronary artery disease and autoimmune disorders. Because conventional physicians pay little or no attention to DHEA, they are unable to find anything physically wrong in patients with a wide variety of chronic stress illnesses. The usual medical history and physical exam will generally alert the physician to suspect the most serious diagnosable illnesses such as cancer, major heart disease, brain tumors or even diabetes.

But the standard screening chemical tests may be "normal" even in these more serious illnesses. Regular x-rays, electrocardiograms, and even very specialized
x-rays such as CT scans or MRIs are useful when there are tumors, fractures, ruptured discs and so on.

But a significant majority of patients do not have illnesses detectable by all these excellent tests. Instead, these "undiagnosable" patients often have a wide variety of symptoms, including fatigue, anxiety, depression, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and a wide variety of aches and pains.

The diagnostic dilemma is the simple fact that stress can cause every known symptom but there is no diagnostic test for stress. However cumulative stress leads to an increasing number of symptoms and the very real likelihood that there is a DHEA deficiency.

DHEA and Aging

In patients between 50 and 79 years of age, DHEA levels are 40 percent lower in women and 35 percent lower in men who have cardiovascular disease than in those without this disease. These results may be due to menopause or andropause (lowered testosterone production in men). No other sex hormone (including estrone, estradiol, testosterone or androstenedione) showed such decreases after age 50.

It is particularly important to note that women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had lower DHEA levels than those not on HRT. Premarin and other estrogen replacements do not raise DHEA levels and carry many risks. Natural progesterone, on the other hand, can actually increase bone density, carries no known risks and elevates DHEA.

It appears that both men and women become relatively deficient in progesterone after age 50. This deficiency may be aggravated by smoking as well as obesity. Body fat produces estrogen, even in men, leading to excess estrogen and lowered progesterone. This decrease is progesterone is almost certainly partially responsible for the declining DHEA levels often reported with aging. Excess and cumulative stress additionally lowers DHEA, weakening the immune system.

Both syndromes of menopause and andropause as well as the many diseases increasing after age 50 may be prevented with appropriate, safe therapies. You can begin with exercise. It is never too late to start an exercise program. Walk at a comfortable pace for five minutes daily; after one week add one or two minutes. Increase weekly until you reach 60 minutes at least six days per week. Then increase your pace so that eventually you can comfortably walk four miles in 60 minutes. Be sure to spend at least one hour per day outside. You don't have to be in the sun, but in natural light. Next, eat a diet relatively low in fat and very low in sugar; minimize caffeine. Eat fish three to four times per week, chicken or turkey one to three times and beef not more than once per week. Don't smoke. Minimize alcohol. Meditate at least 30 minutes per day. Keep a positive attitude.

Finally, find a doctor who will check your DHEA blood serum level. If it is below optimal (750-1250 mg/dL for men and 550-980 mg/dL for women), add natural progesterone cream, 1/4 teaspoon on the skin twice a day. If DHEA does not come up enough, increase to 1/4 teaspoon four times a day.

With this approach, you should be able to improve your wellbeing, your overall health and your longevity. I believe that natural life expectancy should be at least 100 years. These healthy lifestyle habits should allow you to realize that potential.

Excerpted from DHEA: The Youth and Health Hormone (Keats Publishing, Inc.); copyright © 1996 by C. Norman Shealy, M.D.

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