Do DHEA or growth hormone help against ageing, or are they risky?

DHEA is the most abundant steroid hormone in the blood. It rises during puberty and then declines steadily: by the time you are sixty, you have only a fraction of the level you had at twenty. That sounds like a logical reason to supplement, but the translation into a genuine anti-ageing effect is more complicated than the marketing suggests.

What does appear to hold up: in older adults, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies show modest benefits from DHEA supplementation. Think slightly better bone density, a small increase in muscle strength, somewhat less body fat, and a mild improvement in wellbeing. The emphasis is on 'modest'. There is no sign of spectacular rejuvenation. The picture is also inconsistent: large randomised trials are still lacking, and the 'super-hormone' image is largely based on animal research.

In people with an adrenal condition, such as Addison's disease, the evidence is more solid. Women with impaired adrenal function report better mood, quality of life, and slightly improved sexual function with DHEA supplementation. This explicitly does not apply to healthy women without a hormone deficiency: in them, no consistent benefits have been demonstrated for menopausal symptoms, memory, or wellbeing. One exception: vaginal dryness after menopause does respond positively to local, vaginal administration of DHEA.

Then there is the safety issue. High or long-term doses of DHEA can cause androgenic side effects, such as acne and unwanted hair growth, but also oestrogenic side effects. The long-term risk profile has not been sufficiently studied. Commercial providers who sell hormones without a medical indication are explicitly criticised in several reviews.

The supplied studies say little that is concrete about growth hormone as an anti-ageing agent, beyond the broader warning that correcting hormonal decline through supplementation is not automatically safe or effective. DHEA is still the best-researched hormone in this context, and even for that the evidence is modest and limited to specific groups.