DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) in RRM

DHEA supplementation is the use of DHEA, a hormone the body converts into other sex hormones, to support the ovaries. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) comes mostly from the adrenal glands. The body uses it to make both estrogen and testosterone. Inside the ovary, healthy levels of androgens, the male-type hormones, help eggs and their support cells grow. When these levels are low, egg development may suffer. Some clinicians consider DHEA as one part of a broader restorative evaluation.¹

The evidence for DHEA is mixed. Most studies examined one of two groups of women. One group had diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), a reduced number of eggs in the ovaries. The other group had ovaries that responded poorly to stimulation drugs. A 2020 network meta-analysis of these women linked DHEA to a higher chance of clinical pregnancy. In the same analysis, DHEA was not among the add-ons with the largest gain in the number of eggs collected.² A blood test for AMH and other ovarian reserve markers usually helps show whether DHEA is worth considering for a given woman.

Within restorative reproductive medicine, some named clinical methods use DHEA selectively. NeoFertility checks androgen levels as part of its expanded hormone panel. DHEA may be considered when low androgens appear to be a contributing factor. NaPro Medical also looks for hormone problems behind subfertility. It uses cycle charting to guide the evaluation. Hormone support may be part of that individual plan. A retrospective cohort study examined women with low estradiol in early pregnancy. It tested a protocol with several parts, one of which was DHEA. DHEA raised estradiol levels, and women who received it had fewer miscarriages.³ The evaluating clinician decides whether, when, and how to use DHEA, based on the full hormone profile. No single field-wide protocol sets that choice.

DHEA works best as one part of a broader search for causes. The key question is why ovarian reserve is low. The answer may involve thyroid function, nutrition, immune factors, or other underlying conditions. This focus on the root cause sets restorative use of DHEA apart from its routine use as an add-on to stimulation cycles.