DHEA is a weak male hormone used by the body to make other hormones, including testosterone and estrogen.
It appears to benefit women with lupus by helping to restore the balance of male-female hormones.
The manufacturer of the DHEA product Prestara® recently completed a phase III clinical trial to determine if DHEA improves bone mineral density in women with lupus who are receiving corticosteroid therapy. There was a modest change at 1 year. An earlier study of the drug confirmed Prestara®’s ability to improve or stabilize clinical outcome and disease symptoms in women with mildto- moderate lupus. The FDA did not approve DHEA for treating lupus. In the meantime, patients may get DHEA from a compounding pharmacist. If you have patients using DHEA, it is important to stress that they purchase a medical-grade product from a pharmacy and have regular check-ups to monitor response to the drug. DHEA is never used in men with lupus. In postmenopausal women, mammograms and PAP smears must be monitored