One-year therapy with 10 mg/day DHEA alone or in combination with HRT in postmenopausal women: effects on hormonal milieu

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects on hormonal milieu of 1-year therapy with 10 mg/day oral dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA) or 50 g transdermal estradiol plus 100 mg/day oral micronized progesterone in a group of 20healthy postmenopausal women (age = 50–58 and years since menopause (ysm) = 1–6) and also the effects observed by combiningthese two therapies in a group of 12 postmenopausal women (age = 54–61 and ysm = 6–10) characterized by lower baselineDHEA and DHEAS levels (<2.40 and <0.55 g/ml, respectively).DHEA produced a significant rise in androgens levels, whereas HRT did not. Moreover, DHEA alone induced a significantlylower increase in estrogens and beta-endorphin levels and a higher decrease in cortisol levels than HRT. DHEA and HRT alsoproduced a significant similar increase in allopregnanolone levels.DHEA plus HRT induced a significantly higher increase in testosterone and estradiol and a lower increase in allopregnanoloneand beta-endorphin levels and a significantly lower decrease in cortisol levels than HRT alone treated group. A similar increasewas observed in progesterone and SHBG levels in all groups.These results suggest that 10-mg DHEA seems to be the proper dose to replace androgen deficiency in subjects with reducedDelta-5 androgens plasma levels. However, the aging process and the number of years since menopause may further modulatethe effects of hormone therapy on hormonal milieu.© 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.