ABSTRACT
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is typically secreted by the adrenal gland, and its secretory rate changes throughout human life. When human development is completed and adulthood is reached, DHEA and dehydroepiandrostenedione sulfate (DHEAS) levels start to decline so that at 70-80 years of age, peak concentrations are only 10%–20% of those in young adults. This age-associated decrease is indicated as “adrenopause,” and because many age-related disturbances have been observed to correlate with the decline of DHEA(S) levels, the possibility of using DHEA as replacement therapy in the aged should be considered.
