COGI conference update on DHEA
DHEA supplementation
The DHEA hormone? has now been mentioned at several international congresses. It appears to be particularly useful in women with low ovarian reserve undergoing IVF/ICSI. Dr Gleicher reported a few case studies with very promising results. In just a few months, the AMH levels had improved. This probably also plays a positive role for natural conception?.
Dr Gleicher reports early findings of ongoing clinical trials suggesting that the rate of aneuploidy (abnormal number of chromosomes) was significantly reduced in women taking DHEA supplements. This finding is important because this is a major cause of reduced pregnancy rate in older women. If the results are confirmed, this would suggest that women with low ovarian reserve could improve their chance of pregnancy and reduce their risk of miscarriage.
In his view, DHEA supplementation also deserves investigation in older fertile women, attempting to conceive naturally, where a similar effect may be observed. You can read more about this here
In his study, Dr Gleicher found a miscarriage rate of 15%, which is very low for women with low ovarian reserve. A reduction of the risk of miscarriage for women taking DHEA for a few months before conception would reach 50-80%. Given the encouraging results a patent is currently being processed for the use of DHEA in this application. In his view, current best available evidence suggests that DHEA increases pregnancy chances by improving ovarian function and by reducing aneuploidy. The miscarriage rate is also lower. DHEA over time also appears to objectively improve ovarian reserve. You can read more here
He recommended that the AMH levels were tested before starting the treatment to have a baseline to work from. He recommended taking 3 x 25mg of DHEA daily for 6 to 8 weeks before taking another AMH test. If the AMH levels are improving, then it is worth pursuing the treatment for 6-8 months to maximise the ovarian response to your natural hormone.
Note that in the UK, DHEA is a prescription medication, and needs to be prescribed by your doctor. DHEA is not recommended for women with PCOS as this is thought to worsen the symptoms associated with the condition.
