Do DHEA or growth hormone help against ageing, or are they risky?
For healthy older adults, DHEA is not a proven anti-ageing agent, and for growth hormone the long-term risks are unknown. If you have a genuine hormone deficiency, discuss supplementation with your doctor.
DHEA declines sharply as you get older, which sounds like a logical reason to supplement it. Yet the evidence for DHEA as a general anti-ageing agent in healthy older adults is thin. Clinical studies in postmenopausal women show no demonstrable health benefits from oral DHEA as an anti-ageing supplement. Modest improvements in immune function, muscle strength, bone density and skin quality have been found in small double-blind studies in older adults, but those effects are not consistent and large randomised trials are lacking. Optimal dosing has not been established either.
There is one clear exception: people with genuine adrenocortical insufficiency, where the body produces too little DHEA on its own. In those individuals, supplementation restores hormone levels and demonstrably improves wellbeing, sexual satisfaction, insulin sensitivity and bone density. That is a very different situation from healthy ageing. Vaginal DHEA may possibly be useful for local complaints after the menopause, but here too the evidence is not yet broad enough to serve as standard advice.
Growth hormone (GH) has a measurable effect on body composition in older men with reduced levels of the associated growth-factor protein: lean mass increases and the percentage of body fat falls. However, the effect on bones is modest, and the long-term clinical relevance is unclear. Short-term side effects can be limited with low doses, but whether prolonged use in healthy older adults raises the risk of metabolic problems or cancer has not been established. In broader reviews of life-extension agents, some substances in this class even increased tumour incidence in animal studies.
In short: for healthy older adults, the scientific foundation for routine use of DHEA or growth hormone is absent. The situation with DHEA in animal models also translates poorly to humans, because DHEA is largely a human hormone and animal data cannot simply be copied across. Scientific scrutiny through large, independent trials is urgently needed before treatments of this kind can find widespread acceptance.
All claims are based on reviews (no primary RCTs or meta-analyses as sources). Large independent randomised trials in healthy older adults are lacking. Animal data for DHEA are difficult to extrapolate to humans.
Does my growth hormone decline with age, and does that matter?
Your growth hormone does indeed decline sharply with age. Reversing that with hormone injections offers little benefit in healthy older adults and carries health risks, including an increased risk of cancer.
Do your hormones influence how quickly you age?
Hormones do influence ageing, but do not control it entirely. Fat distribution, muscle mass and inflammatory processes are all linked to hormonal changes that can be monitored and, to some extent, addressed.
Do male hormones affect how quickly men age?
Declining testosterone measurably accelerates ageing of muscles, bones and sexual function, but the links to mood and skin are far less certain. Testosterone supplementation can relieve some symptoms, but always discuss the risk profile with your doctor before starting.
Does hormone therapy help women age more healthily?
Hormone therapy relieves menopausal symptoms well and shows positive indications for bones and metabolism, but the effects on the heart and brain are uncertain and highly individual. Whether it is worthwhile for you depends strongly on your symptoms, timing and health history: discuss it with your doctor.
What does the stress hormone cortisol do to my ageing?
Chronically elevated cortisol accelerates muscle loss and disrupts your metabolism, and that effect is real. Good sleep and limiting chronic stress are the most concrete tools for keeping it in check.
Can exercise really improve your hormone levels as you get older?
Yes, exercise demonstrably raises several hormone levels in people over 40. The strongest practical benefit lies in muscle preservation: strength training is the most effective approach for that, regardless of which type of training you choose.