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Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis (bone thinning) affects millions of late-middle-aged to elderly
individuals of both sexes, but is more common in women than men. In women, a
major contributing factor is the loss of estrogen at menopause, which
parallels the decline in DHEA. DHEA appears to exert a positive role in bone
metabolism by inhibiting bone resorption and stimulating bone formation.
It
also seems to aid calcium absorption. DHEA has proved effective in clinical
trials treating osteoporosis.
However, a correlation between DHEA and bone
mineral density appears variably in women and not at all in men.
Clinical Studies
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Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Sixth
People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China.
To study the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) treatment of
osteoporosis in men with T(BMD) > or = 2.5SD. Eighty-six patients were
randomly divided into two groups: treatment group (n = 44) and control
group (n = 42). DHEAS (100 mg q.d.) was given to the treatment group for 6
months. Bone mineral density, (BMD), biochemical markers of bone
absorption and formation and other serum biochemical markers were measured
before and after DHEAS treatment. Drug side effects were also evaluated.
After oral administration of DHEAS (100 mg q.d.) for 6 months, the serum
concentrations of DHEAS and IGF-I in the treatment group were 93.75% +/-
16.1% and 17.71% +/- 4.2% higher respectively than those in the control
group (P < 0.01). The BMD of L2, L3, L4, L2 - 4 and Neck sections
increased in the treatment group by 2.65% +/- 0.65%, 2.70% +/- 0.48%,
3.10% +/- 0.41%, 2.82% +/- 0.37% and 2.32% +/- 0.31%, respectively, as
compared with that the control group (P < 0.05 or 0.01). No significant
changes were observed in serum FT, E(2) and PSA concentrations in the
treatment group as compared with the control group. The treatment of
osteoporosis in men with DHEAS is safe and effective.
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