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Biomarkers

DHEA-S

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) is the sulfated, long-circulating form of DHEA, secreted by the adrenal cortex (zona reticularis) and serving as a precursor to androgens and estrogens in peripheral tissues. Although it has minor diurnal variation, serum levels are far more stable than DHEA itself, making DHEA-S the preferred clinical marker of adrenal androgen output. It peaks in early adulthood and declines steeply with age (adrenopause); lower values are observationally associated with frailty, reduced bone density, and impaired immune function, though DHEA supplementation trials have largely been null for hard outcomes.

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Sources

  1. Mazat L, Lafont S, Berr C, Debuire B, Tessier JF, Dartigues JF, Baulieu EE. (2001). Prospective measurements of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in a cohort of elderly subjects: Relationship to gender, subjective health, smoking habits, and 10-year mortality. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA*doi:10.1073/pnas.121177998