DHEA For ED: Can This Hormone Supplement Help With ED? – Introduction
Erectile dysfunction is an extremely common condition that affects millions of men across the world. It is characterised by the inability to achieve or sustain an erection large enough for sex. While ED has several treatments, including pills, injections and surgery, most men prefer other methods. Of these, the most recent attracting attention is a hormone product known as dehydroepiandrosterone. We intend to understand what dehydroepiandrosterone might do for ED, how it works, and the extent of the research on its efficacy and safety.
DHEA For ED: Can This Hormone Supplement Help With ED?
DHEA, or dihydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone released by the adrenal glands that often acts as a precursor to testosterone and oestrogen. It is involved in various physiological processes, including sexual activity. DHEA depletes as you grow older, as does sexual function and libido in men. This decline has fuelled interest in additional DHEA therapies for ED.
Understanding DHEA’s Role in Erectile Dysfunction
Exactly how DHEA should alleviate ED remains somewhat vague. It’s assumed that taking DHEA will make it easier to boost testosterone levels, a highly crucial hormone for maintaining sexual functions. Moreover, DHEA can even interfere directly with the functioning of the blood vessels, which leads to increased flow to the penis – an important aspect of forming and maintaining an erection. Along with physiological functions, DHEA boosts mood and wellbeing, potentially indirectly giving sexual performance an edge.
DHEA and Erectile Dysfunction: What the Research Says
Recent research has also begun examining whether DHEA might benefit ED men. The most prominent systematic review and meta-analysis was one, reported in 2019 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, involving 11 RCTs involving 1,826 ED patients. It reported that, when the subjects were given DHEA supplementation instead of placebo, erectile function, sexual satisfaction and sexual quality of life improved significantly.
Another, published in 2018 in the International Journal of Impotence Research showed the same outcomes, and DHEA seemed quite effective in re-establishing erectile function in ED men.
Efficiency Considerations
While those are promising studies, which yield positive findings about DHEA for ED, one must also recognize that this hormone might operate in different ways due to certain specific triggers causing a specific dysfunction. This study published in 2019 in the Journal of Andrology demonstrated that DHEA is more effective in treating ED related to low testosterone levels. It is less effective in patients whose erectile dysfunction was associated with something else, such as a mental disorder or diabetes.
Safety and Side Effects of DHEA
While DHEA is typically safe for the short term, long-term safety is questionable. Acne, hair loss, stomach discomfort, and high blood pressure are potential side effects of taking DHEA supplements. It’s also not entirely clear whether taking DHEA chronically raises risk for certain cancers, including prostate and breast cancer, though the evidence is patchy and animal-based.
Safety and Side Effects:
1. Hepatic Effects
DHEA metabolism occurs primarily in the liver. One meta-analysis of thirteen trials showed that there was very little increase in liver enzymes from DHEA supplementation and, therefore, DHEA does not cause any hepatoxic effects in the short term (Kroboth et al, 1999). But, although quite uncommon, animal experiments suggested that the potential for hepatic adenoma following DHEA supplementation could be due to chronic use, raising doubts about the safety of its use over time (Davies et al, 2002). So, while short-term use has been ruled safe, long-term supplementation has not.
2. Hormonal Effects
As a forerunner of sex hormones, taking DHEA supplements can cause hormonal fluctuations. A meta-analysis of 23 RCTs found that, in each RCT, increased testosterone was observed in both men and women as a result of DHEA supplementation, although no clinical significance was known. Oestrogen levels, which have also been linked to DHEA in women, increased in non-uniformly correlated fashion, raising questions about a potential rise in breast cancer risk. That would therefore imply a need for taking into account individual reactions to DHEA.
3. Effects on the Cardiovascular System
It’s not as if the connection between DHEA supplementation and cardiovascular disease is clear-cut. Many of these research studies proposed that DHEA improves lipid profiles and thus prevents cardiovascular disease (Genazzani et al, 2001). By contrast, a meta-analysis of fourteen randomised controlled trials failed to determine that DHEA had a beneficial effect on blood pressure or lipid profiles (Pergola et al., 2008). Whether DHEA supplementation causes cardiovascular effects isn’t known for a very long time, and even then, we would need to research it.
4. Psychiatric Effects
DHEA is a widely researched topic in relation to mood and cognition. Although some studies reported depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning improvements after supplementation, results are generally inconsistent and unreliable (Schmidt et al, 2005; Wolkowitz et al, 1997). Additionally, DHEA can be dangerous even in bipolar patients because it can induce manic symptoms (Markovitz et al., 2000). Particular caution is therefore warranted in people with a history of psychiatric disorder.
5. Dermatologic Effects
DHEA supplementation has also been studied for its effect on skin and aging. One RCT found that DHEA supplementation boosted skin hydration and thickness in postmenopausal women. The findings were promising, though the dermatologic side-effects of DHEA supplementation at long-term onset are still unknown and require more rigorous testing.
Conclusion: DHEA For ED: Can This Hormone Supplement Help With ED?
Conclusion: DHEA can help with ED treatment. It can enhance erectile function, sexual satisfaction, and overall sexual performance in ED men. It will need much more research to determine its long-term effectiveness and safety. Because any hormone supplement may interact with other medications, it is still advisable to seek the advice of a physician before taking this supplement. Although DHEA may be useful for some ED men, it is not a substitute for a prescription drug and further research will help to explain how it works to control the condition.
