Androgens - Research Summary

An increasing number of researchers are looking at the phenomenon of androgen deficiency in women (Miller 2001), as levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone fall steadily with age and contribute to many of the symptoms seen in postmenopause. Androgen therapy with DHEA or testosterone has been found to restore sexual function, particularly in women who have experienced a sudden drop in androgen levels, such as younger women undergoing surgical menopause, or women with adrenal insufficiency (Arlt 2006).

DHEA has been found to successfully restore sexual function in older women and has had a good safety profile, even after 50 mg/day oral DHEA was administered for one year, as found in the DHEAge study, which also found an increase in bone mineral density with DHEA treatment in women over 70 years old (Baulieu et al. 2000).

Labrie et al. (2005) have suggested the use of DHEA for physiological hormone replacement because of its nature as a hormone precursor, producing estrogens and testosterone in the hormone-dependent target tissues precisely according to local needs, and thus alleviating many of the symptoms of hormone deficiency while avoiding the systemic side effects of exogenous hormone therapy.

They call this new concept “intracrinology” as opposed to endocrinology and suggest that it offers new options for menopausal women. Arlt (2006) has reviewed the use of androgen therapy in women and concluded that this should be reserved for women with severe androgen insufficiency.

The WIB Research Tool

Looking for more Androgen research? Trying to find other articles on hormone balance and menopause?

We know how important it is for you to have quality research in order to make informed decisions about your health. Our research database contains articles that are hand-picked to
provide the most up-to-date and relevant information.