DHEA has demonstrated benefits in specific conditions such as adrenal insufficiency and vaginal atrophy, but does not work as a general anti-ageing agent for healthy people. Growth hormone and DHEA as broad life-extension interventions are unproven and can be harmful if misused.
DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is the most abundant steroid hormone in the blood. It rises around puberty and then declines steadily with age, while cortisol barely changes. This striking age-related pattern sparked decades of hope that supplementing with DHEA might slow or even reverse ageing. (PMID 15539809, 12044959, 25022952)
That hope has only been partially fulfilled. In healthy older people without a hormone deficiency, no consistent benefits have been demonstrated for menopausal symptoms, sexual function, cognition or overall well-being. DHEA was once aggressively marketed as a 'super-hormone', largely on the basis of animal studies, but animal data translate poorly to humans. Large studies with hard outcomes such as survival or fracture risk are still lacking. (PMID 35254428, 25022952, 10656527, 12573813)
There are, however, specific situations in which DHEA appears to be useful. In women with a demonstrable DHEA deficiency due to adrenocortical insufficiency or hypopituitarism, small but real improvements in quality of life and mood have been shown, although benefits for anxiety and sexuality are not consistent. Local (vaginal) administration for vulvovaginal atrophy, a problem of vaginal dryness and tissue thinning after menopause, shows clear benefit. Positive effects on bone density have also been found in randomised studies, presumably because DHEA is converted to oestrogen in bone cells, but there are no data on whether this also reduces the number of fractures. (PMID 35254428, 27346309, 25022952)
Placebo-controlled studies in older adults have also shown modest positive effects on the immune system (increases in certain immune cells), muscle strength, body fat and skin ageing (more collagen). The effects are small, however, and it is unclear whether they are clinically meaningful in the long term. (PMID 25022952)
At high doses, real risks exist. DHEA can be converted into both male (androgenic) and female (oestrogenic) hormones, causing side effects such as acne, unwanted hair growth and voice changes. This is a serious concern with long-term use, especially outside medical supervision. Commercial use of hormones 'on a whim', including growth hormone, is explicitly described by researchers as dangerous. (PMID 35254428, 10656527, 12573813, 28264815)
Growth hormone (GH) falls into the same category of hormonal anti-ageing interventions where societal demand far outpaces scientific knowledge. For GH too, evidence for an extended healthy lifespan in humans is lacking, and commercial providers downplay the risks. The available evidence indicates that both DHEA and GH are unproven as broad anti-ageing agents, but that DHEA may have a role in well-defined medical conditions. (PMID 10656527, 12573813, 28264815)
The claims are based on a mix of RCTs, double-blind placebo-controlled studies and review articles. No specific RCT data for growth hormone were provided in the claims; the statements about GH are general in nature. Large long-term studies with hard endpoints (survival, fractures) are lacking for both hormones.