Contents
Contributors
Search

	INTRODUCTION
	DHEA SECRETION AND AGE
	DHEA - MECHANISMS OF ACTION
	DHEA exerts indirect action as it represents a crucial precursor for active sex steroid synthesis
	DHEA may act as a neurosteroid via direct interaction with neurotransmitter receptors
	Androstenedione - Mechanisms of action
	THE BIOLOGICAL ROLE OF DHEA - EPIDEMIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
	THE BIOLOGICAL ROLE OF DHEA - EVIDENCE FROM CLINICAL INTERVENTION STUDIES
	DHEA replacement in patients with adrenal insufficiency
	DHEA supplementation in healthy elderly subjects
	DHEA treatment in patients with impaired mood, sexuality and cognition
	DHEA supplementation in patients with immunological disorders
	Androstenedione administration in clinical studies
	THE EMERGING PROFILE OF DHEA ACTION IN HUMANS
	Effects on the central nervous system
	Metabolism and body composition
	Bone
	Immune system
	General Conclusions
	FUTURE PERSPECTIVES