[Prasterone (dihydroepiandrosterone): a modern source of eternal youth?]

The function of adrenal cortical hormone dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is currently unknown. The use of this hormone as a food supplement is widely recommended in the USA for the elderly, as DHEA serum concentrations decrease dramatically after the age of about fourty. DHEA is available without prescription. Many sources suggest a causal relation between the decrease of DHEA production during aging and the emergence of degenerative disorders. To substantiate this relationship animal experimental and epidemiological literature is cited. However, data from clinical trials are rare and neither the safety nor the efficacy of DHEA is documented. Via the modern media such as the Internet the consumer is stimulated to use and order DHEA, 'the fountain of youth'. Consumers willing to follow this recommendation should be informed about the absence of proof of safety and efficacy. However, the compelling suggestions from animal and epidemiological literature of DHEA activity are intriguing, and further clinical trials to document the efficacy and safety of DHEA are urgently needed.